Man booked for abusing, assaulting woman in Noida

Police have booked Shrikant Tyagi, who identifies himself on social media as a national executive member of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha and national co-cordinator of the Yuva Kisan Samiti of the ruling party.

A man was booked by Gautam Budh Nagar police on Friday for allegedly abusing and assaulting a woman, following a heated argument over planting palm trees outside the former’s house, at Grand Omaxe society in Noida’s Sector 93-B, said police.

The suspect, Shrikant Tyagi. (Sourced)

Police have booked Shrikant Tyagi, who identifies himself on social media as a national executive member of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha and national co-cordinator of the Yuva Kisan Samiti of the ruling party.

According to representatives of Grand Omaxe Association of Apartment Owners (GOAAO), the incident occurred on Friday afternoon when some residents of the society started removing palm trees outside Tyagi’s ground floor home in Alexandra D tower.

“We met Tyagi on Thursday evening as he was carrying out plantations outside his home in a common area of the society, which also serves as a passage for walking. Residents were not happy as the plants were encroaching common area. We requested him not to put up plants in the common area of the society but he did not agree to our demands,” said Mahima Joshi, general secretary, GOAAO.

“Around 150 residents gathered in the common area outside Tyagi’s home and we got the palm trees removed with the help of housekeeping staff. They were transplanted to another appropriate place. At this moment, Tyagi came outside and started abusing one of the residents,” said Joshi.

A spat broke out between Tyagi and a woman resident in the common area of the society. “I was telling the gardener, who was planting the trees, that what he is doing is completely wrong. However, Tyagi intervened and started abusing me. He made derogatory remarks and did not even spare my family,” said the woman.

“We called the police and filed a complaint against Tyagi for abusing and assaulting the resident,” said Joshi.

Meanwhile, speaking to HT, Tyagi claimed that he had all the requisite permission to put up palm trees outside his home. “I have paid a preferential location charges of 6% during the registry of my flat on the ground floor and have all the rights to plant trees outside my home” he said.

Earlier in 2019, the residents had filed a complaint with the Noida authority and Gautam Budh Nagar police against Tyagi for allegedly encroaching onto the green belt in the common area. Following this, on October 16, 2019, the Noida authority issued a notice to Tyagi to remove the said encroachment within 15 days.

However, Tyagi said, the Noida Authority issued a letter to him last year saying the said notice has been nullified. The letter, a copy of which is available with HT, states following an inspection of Tyagi’s flat, the irregularities mentioned in the notice have been rectified and the notice has been quashed. Quoting this letter, Tyagi said, “The Noida authority has given me an NOC to put up greenery outside my home and if someone comes and uproots those plants, I will express my resentment”.

However, a senior official from the Noida Authority said, “The earlier notice has been quashed considering the irregularities mentioned in the said case. However, in no way does it serve as an NOC for the resident to carry out any other changes in the common area.”

Tyagi further said, “I was only doing gardening outside my home. How is that illegal? If someone has a problem with the way I behaved with the woman, they can keep their views to themselves. The residents barged into my home and removed the trees. In such a case, I also have the right to shoot my licensed pistol.”

A case under 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) of the IPC has been registered against Tyagi at Phase-2 police station in Noida.

“Tyagi is on the run as the police could not find him at his residence. However, efforts are on to trace him and we have taken his wife into custody for further questioning,” said additional deputy commissioner of police (women’s safety) Ankita Sharma.

Meanwhile, a video of Tyagi abusing the woman was shared by residents on Whatsapp groups, which soon went viral on social media. The Rashtriya Janata Dal shared the video from its official Twitter handle and said, “How...a notorious party of goons, rapists and criminals, is abusing a respected woman. Will media ask questions to the top BJP leaders?”

Meanwhile, the BJP distanced itself from Tyagi after the incident. According to Manoj Gupta, district president, Noida Mahanagar, BJP, Tyagi is not a member of BJP. “Tyagi was never a BJP worker and we are standing in support of the society residents against this imposter. Tyagi used to be an assistant of a former BJP leader, who has now moved to Samajwadi Party. We absolutely condemn his act and want to clarify that he is not associated with the BJP.”