Noida: Absconding politician Shrikant Tyagi was arrested Tuesday from Meerut, officials said, days after he was seen in a social media video abusing and assaulting a woman for objecting to his alleged illegal constructions at a housing society here.
Tyagi was at large since Friday evening, and the Noida Police had announced a reward of Rs 25,000 on his arrest.
Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police (law and order) Prashant Kumar said in Lucknow Tyagi has been arrested.
Here's how he was caught after a 4-day hunt:
Reports say Shrikant Tyagi was caught while moving between Meerut to Noida.
"The main accused (Shrikant Tyagi) was trying to hide himself and 12 teams were formed to arrest him", Alok Kumar Singh, Noida Police Commissioner told media persons in a presser this afternoon.
Singh said radio silence and electronic silence was used by the accused to evade arrest but our teams ensured he was caught. He ran from Delhi to the airport first after the video went viral.
Looking at the video going viral, he changed his track to Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Rishikesh, and Haridwar.
As per reports, human intelligence, technical intelligence, and electronic surveillance were used and his wife's phone calls were also intercepted to trace his whereabouts.
Tyagi was frequently changing numbers and was in constant contact with his close people, lawyers and people who gave him protection.
"12 teams worked on this case. He (Shrikant Tyagi) was changing his whereabouts frequently and due to that, he was able to save himself for some time but eventually, we arrested him… He told us that the secretariat pass was given to him by SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya," Noida Police Commissioner added.
Tyagi, who was at large since Friday evening, had Monday moved a court in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district with a plea for surrender-related procedures. The hearing in the matter has been listed for August 10.
He moved the court plea soon after the Noida police declared him "absconding" and announced the reward on his arrest.
Until he went underground Friday night, Tyagi claimed to be the national executive member of the BJP's Kisan Morcha and the national co-coordinator of its Yuva Samiti, even as the ruling party denied any links with him.
The Opposition has also mounted an attack on the BJP over the issue, sharing purported pictures of Tyagi with senior saffron party leaders, including its national president J P Nadda.
Meanwhile, police personnel remained deployed at the Grand Omaxe society in Sector 93B where Tyagi had allegedly abused and assaulted the woman.
Tyagi had allegedly hurled expletives and assaulted the woman co-resident of Grand Omaxe who had objected to him planting trees in the common area of the society in Noida Sector 93B last Friday. Tyagi had claimed he was well within his rights to do so.
As videos of the episode went viral on social media and drew condemnation, an FIR was lodged and Tyagi 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).
(With inputs from agencies)
