Noida neta row: Local police station in-charge shunted as probe intensifies

The in-charge of a local police station has been shunted as probe into the assault on a woman inside a housing society in Noida, allegedly by a politician, intensified, officials said on Monday.

Sujeet Upadhyay, in-charge of Phase 2 police station, was removed from the post late Sunday night.

"Inspector Paramhans Tiwari has been appointed as the in-charge of Phase 2 police station in view of administrative requirements," a police spokesperson said Monday morning.

The action came a day after high drama unfolded at the Omaxe Grand society in Sector 93B, where local BJP leaders lashed out at the police for not being able to arrest accused Shrikant Tyagi, who went absconding Friday night.

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Tyagi has identified himself as the national executive member of the BJP's Kisan Morcha and national co-cordinator of its Yuva Samiti. The ruling party, however, maintains that he is not even its primary member.

Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma visited Omaxe Grand on Sunday evening and interacted with the residents after around a dozen aides of Tyagi had entered the society without permission earlier in the day, raising tension.

"I am ashamed to say that all this is happening when our (BJP) government is in power," Sharma said over an apparent phone call to Uttar Pradesh government's additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Awasthi. He sought immediate action against Tyagi and security for the woman and her family even as he assured residents of the society of justice.

The police had arrested six of Tyagi's aides, who had entered the society on Sunday, and were probing how they managed to gain entry despite private security deployment there, the officials said.

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Late Sunday, District Magistrate Suhas L Yathiraj and Police Commissioner Alok Singh also visited the society and interacted with the residents.

"Tyagi would be booked under the Gangsters Act and strictest action taken against him so that an example is set for people like him," Singh said.

Before he went underground, Tyagi claimed to be a BJP politician, even as the party stresses that he is not even its member as it blocked the attacks being mounted by opposition parties over the episode.

The police, meanwhile, continued its search for Tyagi on Monday, a day after it questioned over half a dozen people linked to him, including his wife, at his home, according to officials.

He was booked under Indian Penal Code 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) on Friday over a spat with a co-resident of their housing society.

The woman had objected to plantation of some trees by Tyagi, citing violation of rules, even as he claimed he was within his rights to do so.