Ghaziabad councillors protest in support of arrested BJP councillor

It was also alleged in the FIR that the councillor stole the woman’s money and jewellery items besides demanding that they pay him “protection money”

Cutting across party lines, about 30-35 councillors of the Ghaziabad municipal corporation staged a protest on Thursday and demanded the revocation of stringent Indian Penal Code sections levied against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Sudhir Kumar, who was arrested on Monday for allegedly assaulting a tea stall vendor couple, vandalising their stall, and making off with their valuables, besides misbehaving with the vendor’s wife late Sunday night near Mohan Nagar.

The councillors have been protesting since Wednesday evening demanding that the police scrap the stringent IPC sections in the FIR and on Thursday, they again congregated at the district headquarters. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The councillor was arrested on the basis of FIR lodged by the vendor woman at Sahibabad police station. He was booked under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), 392 (robbery) and 354 (molestation), said police.

It was also alleged in the FIR that the councillor stole the woman’s money and jewellery items besides demanding that they pay him “protection money”.

The councillors have been protesting since Wednesday evening demanding that the police scrap the stringent IPC sections in the FIR. On Thursday, they again gathered at the district headquarters.

“We held a meeting with the ACP and the DCP in presence of mayor on Wednesday, but we could find no middle ground. Thereafter, about 35 councillors proceeded to meet the commissioner of police (CP) at his camp office in Raj Nagar but policemen stopped our vehicle on Hapur Road and did not allow us to move forward. We protested there till 8.30pm and returned. On Thursday too, councillors were stopped from meeting the CP,” said Sheetal Deol, BJP councillor from ward 9 of Shibbanpura.

Mayor Sunita Dayal alleged a conspiracy against the councillor.

“I spoke to senior police officers and they termed the councillor a “goonda” and ”anti-social element”. There are people behind this and the police is not listening to us. I will inform senior party leaders about the entire issue,” Dayal said.

Additional commissioner of police Kalpna Saxena said she met with councillors on Thursday.

“We have assured them that their concerns will be looked into. The outcome of the investigation will be based on evidences and facts. The suspect councillor’s wife has given a complaint, alleging that casteist remarks were used against her. A DCP rank officer will look into the complaint. We have asked the councillors to hold a meeting with police on Saturday,” she said.