Shrikant Tyagi, who was on the run after abusing and pushing a woman at a Noida society, was arrested on Tuesday. The police launched a massive manhunt for the accused across three states and traced calls he made to his wife and lawyer
After a four-day chase, the police arrested Shrikant Tyagi, accused of abusing and assaulting a woman in Noida. Image: @mshrikanttyagi/Instagram
Shrikant Tyagi, a self-proclaimed politician who was on the run after an FIR was filed against him for abusing and assaulting a woman at a Noida society, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday.
Tyagi was absconding since Friday and was finally caught in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut after a four-day chase. The Noida Police had announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for any information on him.
He has been accused of criminal trespass, causing hurt, insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace and criminal intimidation. He was also slapped with the Gangster Act.
A manhunt across three states
The police were on the lookout for the accused “politician” after a video of him abusing the woman went viral. She had objected to Tyagi planting trees in the common area of Grand Omaxe society in Noida.
Twelve police teams and the STF were searching for Tyagi across three states. During this time, he was constantly in touch with his wife Anu and lawyer, which helped the police track him. Tyagi left the mobile phone he regularly used at home but he was carrying two other phones with him.
The police got a tip-off that Tyagi was in contact with the duo and they used this information to hunt him. He was using an alternate number to reach out to them, according to a report in India Today.
On Monday, the police traced the accused to Uttarakhand; he was reportedly taking refuge somewhere between Rishikesh and Haridwar. Even as several teams of the state police were trying to nab him, he gave them a slip.
Tyagi was finally held along with his three aides from the Shradhapuri area of the Meerut-Dehradun bypass after a massive manhunt was launched by Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF).
According to the police, Tyagi was first heading toward the airport after the video went viral. However, he later changed his mind and was going from place to place, hiding in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Hrishikesh, and Haridwar.
“He (Shrinkant Tyagi) was rapidly changing his location as well as his vehicles That’s why he managed to hide for four days. It was a challenging assignment for us. We overcame all the challenges. Human intel and technical intel were used to track him. His associates Nakul Tyagi, Sanjay and a driver named Rahul were helping him,” Noida Police Commissioner Alok Singh said after the arrest.
Action against Tyagi
On Monday, Noida MLA Pankaj Tyagi vowed to arrest the absconding offender, saying that “this attitude will not be tolerated”. The Noida Authority then razed illegal extensions to Shrikant Tyagi’s house.
Over the past four days, the police have also confiscated several cars, allegedly belonging to him, some of them with an Uttar Pradesh government sticker. An FIR for cheating, impersonation and using a false property mark was also registered against him, reports The Indian Express.
On Monday, Tyagi’s lawyer filed a surrender petition in the Surajpur Court, which has to be heard on Wednesday.
The crimes of Tyagi
Tyagi is a serial offender. His wife had accused him of an attempt to murder. He was booked under Section 307 based on the complaint filed by her, the police said.
He has five cases registered against him, of which two have been filed for misbehaving with women.
Tyagi reportedly used to bully children in Uttar Pradesh’s Modinagar from where he wanted to contest the Assembly election but was denied a ticket. He would scold children, not allow them to cycle, and break their cricket bats if he was irked.
He had captured properties for his campaign-related activities, according to a report in Aaj Tak. He occupied residences of Modinagar Industries in the Mohan Park area. These houses can be allotted only to employees.
Tyagi has a sprawling office in the area with pictures of top BJP leaders and had even tried to take over the surrounding spaces, the report said.
Shrikant Tyagi identified himself as the national executive member of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha and national co-coordinator of its Yuva Samiti. However, the party has distanced itself from him, rubbishing his claims of any links to it.
With inputs from agencies