Ghaziabad: Kanwariyas severely beat up worker putting up fence at Muradnagar canal

The incident happened near the Upper Ganga Canal in Muradnagar on Delhi-Meerut Road, a major stopover for Kanwar pilgrims

A group of Kanwariyas on Thursday afternoon severely beat up a 30-year-old worker who stopped them from sitting on a fence that he was erecting near the canal area, police said.

The DCP said the injured worker was a contractual labour employed by the contractor hired by the irrigation department for erecting the fencing. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The incident happened near the Upper Ganga Canal in Muradnagar on Delhi-Meerut Road. This is a major stop for Kanwar pilgrims who arrived by foot from Haridwar after fetching Ganga water, police said.

The police identified the injured worker as Pravesh Kumar, 30. “Kumar was deployed at the canal area and he was putting up fencing as a safety measure to keep Kanwariyas from falling into the canal. A few Kanwariyas tried to sit on the fencing and Kumar stopped them, saying the fencing would break. Upon this, the Kanwariyas attacked him and beat him up,” said Vivek Chandra Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (rural).

More Kanwariyas joined the melee and also protested at the site after pulling down the barricades erected by the police for diversions.

Police teams arrived at the spot and pacified the pilgrims. Later, the injured man was rushed for medical treatment.

The DCP said the injured worker was a contractual labour employed by the contractor hired by the irrigation department for erecting the fencing.

“We have pictures and video footage of the incident and the suspects are being identified. They were mostly outsiders. We are waiting for a formal complaint from the injured man to take further action. He was taken for medical treatment and is stable,” Yadav said.