Kanwariyas attack car in Ghaziabad as police look on

According to police, the incident happened around 3pm Sunday when Nitin Kumar, a Kanwariya from Delhi’s Uttam Nagar, was resting on a road divider

A group of Kanwariyas allegedly vandalised a car with sticks and baseball bats in full public view in Ghaziabad’s Modinagar on Sunday afternoon, even as police stood by. No complaint was received in the matter and so the Kanwariyas were allowed to continue their journey, senior police officers said later.

A video of the incident shows a mob vandalising a car on a busy street. (HT photo)

According to police, the incident happened around 3pm Sunday when Nitin Kumar, a Kanwariya from Delhi’s Uttam Nagar, was resting on a road divider in Modinagar. A Swift car reportedly hit the divider near him, prompting other Kanwariyas to assume that Kumar had been injured. Police said this triggered a rampage and Kanwariyas started vandalising the car using baseball bats and sticks.

.Videos of the incident surfaced on Monday, showing the car surrounded by Kanwariyas and local residents. Several policemen appear present but uninvolved. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.

“The car hit the divider where a Kanwariya was resting. Others assumed he was hurt and damaged the vehicle. Police pacified them and they moved on. No complaint has been received so far. We will examine if an FIR can be lodged,” said Surendra Nath Tiwary, deputy commissioner of police (rural).

This is the second such incident in Modinagar this month. On the night of July 8, Kanwariyas from Haryana allegedly assaulted a car driver and vandalised his Swift after it brushed past one of them. Police later said the driver was drunk and booked him under section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for preventive arrest.

In response to the incidents, Ghaziabad police have imposed major traffic diversions. The Meerut-Ghaziabad carriageway has been reserved for returning Kanwariyas since Monday afternoon, and the entry of heavy vehicles has been restricted on the Delhi-Meerut Road, Delhi-Meerut Expressway, and Muradnagar–Tila Morh routes from July 11.

“Light vehicles and two-wheelers going to and coming from Meerut will be allowed on both sides of the Ghaziabad-Meerut carriageway. Cones have been installed to separate the two directions and traffic police are on the ground to ensure smooth flow,” said additional DCP (traffic) Sacchidanand.