BJP leader accused in Meerut's Tejgarhi Crossing misbehaviour incident rearrested

Meerut (UP): BJP leader Vikul Chaprana, accused in the Tejgarhi crossroads incident where a trader was allegedly humiliated in the name of Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister Dr Somendra Tomar, was arrested again by police on Friday night.

The police said Chaprana was traced through his mobile location found in Delhi and Faridabad. A team tracked and arrested him near the Bijli Bamba bypass.

According to Superintendent of Police (City) Ayush Vikram Singh, Chaprana had been absconding for several days, and additional charges including extortion were recently added to the case.

Earlier, the police had arrested three other accused -- Happy Bhardana of Qazipur, Ayush Sharma of Shastri Nagar Sector-3 and Subodh Yadav -- who have been sent to jail. Officials said Chaprana had filed applications for surrender and anticipatory bail on Friday, but the police detained him before the court could hear the plea.

The case stems from an incident on the night of October 19, when Chaprana allegedly misbehaved with handloom trader Satyam Rastogi over a dispute about parking near Tejgarhi Crossing. The BJP leader is accused of invoking Minister Tomar's name to pressure the trader and forcing him to rub his nose on the ground in apology.

A video of the act went viral on social media, leading to Chaprana's initial arrest. However, he was released on bail as the charges were minor at that time.

Following public outrage, the BJP suspended him from the party, and the police later added more serious charges leading to his re-arrest.

The incident drew sharp criticism from opposition parties. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said on social media, "BJP leaders, intoxicated by power, never hesitate to humiliate others. They must remember that every arrogance meets its end." The Congress posted on X, calling it "the true face of the BJP, where leaders see themselves as kings and the public as insignificant".

Minister Somendra Tomar has clarified that he has no connection with the incident.