Car vandalised after it brushes Kanwariya, driver assaulted in Ghaziabad: Police

The incident happened late Tuesday night near Raj Chopla in Modinagar when Kanwariyas were returning from Haridwar and were headed to Haryana

Ghaziabad: A group of Kanwar Yatra pilgrims allegedly vandalized a car and assaulted its 30-year-old driver in Ghaziabad’s Modinagar on Tuesday, claiming the vehicle had hit their Kanwar (the sacred structure they carry) while returning from Haridwar.

Police said the driver, Rajiv Sharma, was rescued from the mob, but his Swift car was badly damaged by the Kanwariyas (Representative photo)

Police said the driver, Rajiv Sharma, was rescued from the mob, but his Swift car was badly damaged by the Kanwariyas.

“The incident happened late Tuesday night when Kanwariyas were returning from Haridwar and were headed to Haryana. It was alleged that the Swift car brushed aside one of the Kanwariyas, and this infuriated the group. They vandalized the car and also beat up the driver,” assistant commissioner of police (ACP) of the Modinagar circle, Gyan Prakash Rai, said.

Sharma, a resident of Muradnagar, was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and has been booked under Section 170 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

“Police immediately intervened. The driver was found under the influence of alcohol and was also verified in a medical examination. The driver is stable. So, the driver was booked, and Kanwariyas were allowed to proceed to their hometown,” ACP Rai said.

The Kanwar Yatra, which begins with the start of the Hindu calendar month of Shravana, sees thousands of devotees—Kanwariyas—travel to holy places like Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Gaumukh to collect Ganga Jal, which they carry back—often on foot—to their hometowns.

In Ghaziabad, the Kanwar route spans 25km from Muradnagar to Tila Morh and 42.5 km from the Kadrabad border to the Delhi-Ghaziabad border. Traffic diversions for the annual Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage will be enforced from July 11, with heavy vehicles barred on designated Kanwar routes until July 24. Light vehicles will also face restrictions from July 17 onwards, with curbs applying to the Delhi-Meerut Road and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway as well.

“The diversion for light vehicles on the Delhi Meerut Road is not in effect and will be effected from July 11. Police deployment is in place to ensure that Kanwar Yatra goes on peacefully,” the ACP said.