The Noida authorities on Monday demolished illegal constructions and encroachment at the residence of absconding politician Shrikant Tyagi, who is the main accused in the Grand Omaxe Housing Society fracas in Noida’s Sector 93. The Gautam Buddh Nagar police has suspended six police men, including chowki in-charge of the area, for laxity and also announced a reward of `25,000 on information leading to Tyagi’s arrest. Police sources said that his last location was traced in Uttarakhand near Haridwar.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sought a report from the Home Department in connection with Tyagi’s case. The CM called for a detailed investigation into the case as well as stern action against Tyagi.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday targeted the BJP amid controversy over the incident at the Noida society, which has now caught the national attention. Priyanka called the Noida authorities’ action a “pretence”.
Priyanka also shared pictures of the politician with BJP leaders even as the party distanced itself from him. After the party shared a video of BJP MP Mahesh Sharma talking on phone and saying “We are ashamed that our Government is here”, in reference to the Noida incident, Priyanka shared a collage that shows Tyagi with top BJP leaders. “Did the BJP Government not know for so many years that the construction of the Noida BJP leader was illegal? The bulldozer action is just a pretence,” tweeted Priyanka.
The Government is avoiding the answers to these questions. Who is giving this man the courage to threaten a woman by sending 10-15 goons? Who is protecting him?” Priyanka wrote in her tweet.
Earlier, on Monday morning around 9 A.M, Noida authority used a bulldozer to remove the illegal structures outside Tyagi’s ground floor apartment in Grand Omaxe society in Sector 93B. Tyagi had encroached a portion of the common area of the society in front of his ground floor flat by constructing temporary structures using pillars and tiles. He had also planted trees in a park in front of his residence.
As the bulldozer grazed the illegal structure, the residents of the society lauded the Government’s “bulldozer” move but also sought the early arrest of Tyagi even as some of them were distributing sweets to each other on the occassion.
“We had been raising the issue of encroachment since last three years and finally it has happened. We thank the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Noida authority for it,” an elderly resident of the society told reporters. Over 1,000 families reside in the society.
After the Sunday night ruckus, a large number of police men were deployed at the society. Even as senior officers interacted with Grand Omaxe residents. The assaulted woman was accorded two personal security officers (PSOs).
According to Additional Director General of UP police (law and order) Prashant Kumar, besides the in-charge of the local police station a sub-inspector and four constables have also been suspended for laxity in work.
“Two personal security officers (PSOs) have also been provided to the woman complainant in the case. Efforts are on to nab the accused. The UP Government and the Director General of Police have made it clear that such incidents won’t be tolerated,” he said, adding that human intelligence and technical surveillance are being used to trace Tyagi.
According to sources, multiple teams have been formed which are conducting raids to nab Tyagi. “His last location was traced in Uttarakhand between Haridwar and Rishikesh and multiple police teams went there but still he was not found,” said the sources.
The Noida Police has also booked 10 close relatives of Tyagi under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 447 (punishment for criminal trespass), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation),323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt),419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The six supporters of Tyagi arrested for entering the Grand Omaxe society late Sunday evening without being permitted entry and asking about the address of the woman who was manhandled by Tyagi has been sent to 14 days in jail.
Meanwhile, Noida authority’s GST team also visited Bhagel area, where the shops of Tyagi are located and checked the records. Police teams have also conducted raids at multiple locations, including Gurugram and Lucknow.
The incident came to light on Friday when several video clippings of the incident went viral on social media in which the Tyagi could be heard hurling abuses at the woman. The shocking incident evoked a sharp response from the netizens who voiced their support for the woman who was allegedly threatened by the main accused.