Tyagi used car sticker from ‘old colleague’ Swami Prasad Maurya, probe on: Cops

Shrikant Tyagi's arrest came days after he was seen in a viral social media video abusing and assaulting a woman for objecting to his alleged illegal constructions at a housing society in Noida.

Absconding politician Shrikant Tyagi, on the run for four days, was brought to the Noida Police Commissionerate on Tuesday hours after he was arrested from Meerut. He was later remanded in 14-day judicial custody in connection with assaulting & abusing a woman at Grand Omaxe society in Noida

Shrikant Tyagi at the Noida Police Commissionerate. (ANI)

Noida police commissioner Alok Singh said Tyagi has an 'MLA' sticker on one of his vehicles he said was given to him by his “old political colleague” Swami Prasad Maurya. “We're verifying this information. His driver had painted the UP government emblem on the car number plate. Probe underway under Gangster Act,” Singh said.

Maurya, who joined the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Assembly election in the state, was a minister in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet before putting in his papers.

Singh said, Tyagi kept changing his whereabouts frequently and due to that, he was able to save himself for some time but eventually got arrested. “He told us that the secretariat pass was given to him by Maurya.”

Singh said a total of 12 teams were constituted to nab the accused. Tyagi, who claimed to be a BJP leader, was at large since Friday evening, and the Noida Police had announced a reward of ₹25,000 on his arrest.

Additional director general of Uttar Pradesh Police (law and order) Prashant Kumar had earlier said Tyagi had not received any police protection since February 2020 amid a raging controversy over the issue.

On Monday, Tyagi had moved a court in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district with a plea for surrender-related procedures. The hearing in the matter has been listed for August 10.

Tyagi has claimed to be the national executive member of the BJP's Kisan Morcha and the national co-coordinator of its Yuva Samiti. However, the ruling party has denied any links with him.

The Opposition has shared purported pictures of Tyagi with senior saffron party leaders, including its national president J P Nadda.

(With inputs from agencies)