Days after purported Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shrikant Tyagi was booked by the Uttar Pradesh police for assaulting a woman after an argument with her inside a housing society in Noida, bulldozers arrived at the site on Monday morning, 8 August, and razed an allegedly illegal construction attached to the residence of the politician.
While Tyagi claims to be a leader in the BJP's Kisan Morcha, the party has denied that he is even a member. The Noida Police has also announced a reward of Rs 25,000 on the arrest of Tyagi, who is currently absconding.
Meanwhile, Tyagi has moved a surrender application in Surajpur court in Greater Noida.
Tyagi had encroached a part of the common area at the Grand Omaxe society in Noida's Sector 93 in front of his flat by constructing a structure with pillars and tiles. He had also planted trees in alleged violation of the rules, as per PTI.
The bulldozers demolished a roof-like extension outside Tyagi's residence.
Hammers were also used to destroy the allegedly illegal constructions at the housing society.
Residents of the complex were also seen cheering and celebrating after the demolition, praising the government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
"We are happy with this action taken by by CM Yogi and the CEO of Noida authority. We were annoyed with his (Tyagi's) illegal construction and attitude," a resident was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Further, Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar told news agency ANI, that the last location of Tyagi who escaped from Noida was found in Rishikesh.
"I instructed SSPs of Dehradun-Haridwar that if Noida Police seek any cooperation in arresting him, Dehradun and Haridwar Police will cooperate," Kumar said.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "We are coordinating with the Uttar Pradesh police and if needed, the Uttarakhand government will take stringent action," ANI reported.
In a video that had gone viral, Tyagi was seen arguing with a woman resident of the Noida housing society after she raised objections against planting some trees by the BJP leader, citing violation of rules.
The woman had said, “Shrikant Tyagi lives on the ground floor in this society. He was encroaching upon the plants here and I asked him to remove the plants. At this, he said, ‘If you touch the plants then I will touch you.’ He abused me a lot and abused my husband and my child.”
15 Men Enter Noida Society To Confront Woman, 7 Arrested So Far
More than 15 men entered the society on Sunday, purportedly to confront the woman.
Residents of the Grand Omaxe Housing Society came out of their flats amid the noise, and started protesting against the "goons." Residents alleged that the outsiders pelted stones at them while the former were opposing their entry into the society.
Meanwhile, the police reached the spot and caught a few of the outsiders, while the rest escaped.
"Seven people who entered the Grand Omaxe Society have been arrested and are being interrogated," Noida Police Commissioner Alok Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.
Among the outsiders was a man named Lokendra Tyagi, a resident of Ghaziabad's Modinagar, Tyagi has purportedly been seen in several pictures with BJP leaders.
ADG, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, said on Monday, "Admin and UP DGP have taken the incident involving Shrikant Tyagi seriously, and ordered arrest of the main accused."
He added that one official, one sub-inspector and four constables deputed at the housing society following the incident "were suspended for not carrying out their duties properly."
He also said that two personal security officers have been provided to the woman complainant in the case.
'Six People Being Politically Targetted': Lawyer
Lovi Tyagi, lawyer of the six people who entered the premises of Grand Omaxe housing society, said on Monday, "These six people didn't enter society illegally. They were produced in court, arguments were heard and they were sent to judicial custody. They are being politically targetted."
Further, one of the persons sent to judicial custody said, "All allegations against us are baseless and false. CCTVs are there, they should be checked. We entered the society properly and went there to meet the children of Shrikant Tyagi."
'Nothing More Shameful Than This for UP Govt': BJP MP
Meanwhile, a visibly upset BJP MP named Mahesh Sharma questioned the police regarding how supporters of Tyagi managed to enter the housing complex, saying that there was nothing more "shameful" than this for the UP government.
"I am ashamed to say this is our government. Find out how did these 15 men entered the residential complex. There is nothing more shameful than this for our government," Sharma said while speaking to Additional Chief Secretary Avnish Awasthi on the phone.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed Tyagi, and questioned the BJP government regarding whether they knew of his illegal constructions.
Attaching several pictures of his with BJP leaders, she said on Twitter, "Did the BJP government not know for so many years that the constructions of the Noida BJP leader is illegal? Bulldozer action is ostentatious. The government is avoiding the answers to these questions."
"Who is giving him the courage to threaten a woman openly and in an indecent manner and sending 10-15 goons? Who is it that is saving him?" Gandhi added.
On Sunday, the in-charge of a local police station was also removed from his post amid the probe into the actions of the purported BJP leader.
A police spokesperson said that the official, named Sujeet Upadhyay, was replaced due to "administrative requirements."
"Inspector Paramhans Tiwari has been appointed as the in-charge of Phase 2 police station in view of administrative requirements," the official said on Monday morning, as per PTI.
The Video
A purported video of the the BJP leader arguing with a woman had surfaced on social media, which showed Tyagi hurling expletives, making derogatory remarks about her husband, and assaulting the woman.
Tyagi claimed that he was within his rights to plant saplings around his residence, and resorted to obscenities while speaking to the society resident.
Subsequently, Noida Police said that a case had been registered against the purported BJP leader and investigation into the incident has started.
He was charged under Section 354 (assault or use of criminal force on any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code.
Later, Sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), and 447 (punishment for criminal trespass) of the IPC were also added to the First Information Report (FIR).
The police also said that a separate case was lodged against Tyagi for having the official symbol of the UP government on his Toyota Fortuner.
"A Toyota Fortuner had the official symbol of the UP government on it in violation of rules. For misuse of government symbol, a separate FIR has been lodged," Additional DCP Ranvijay Singh said.
The police also said that they planned to slap charges of the Gangster Act on him.
"Tyagi would be booked under the Gangsters Act and strictest action taken against him so that an example is set for people like him," Police Commissioner Alok Singh said.
Also, Noida District Magistrate Suhas LY said that the administration will attach Tyagi's property in the case.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI.)
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