Meerut (UP), Jul 8 (PTI) Five people were detained for questioning on Wednesday for allegedly blocking a road during a protest over the murder of a 20-year-old woman in Meerut, even as some protesters claimed that one of them was slapped by police who denied the charges.
Police who have not disclosed the identities of the detainees till the filing of this report said some people allegedly instigated the victim’s family and organised a road blockade outside the collectorate gate. Protesters were detained after they refused to disperse despite persuasion, they said.
A protester, Ravi Gautam, alleged that he was assaulted inside a police vehicle by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Avinash Pandey after being detained. He claimed he “attempted suicide” inside the police van after being distressed by the alleged mistreatment.
A video circulating on social media purportedly shows the SSP entering a police vehicle and slapping a person. However, it is not clear from the footage who was slapped, and PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Police denied Ravi Gautam was slapped in the police vehicle.
According to police, Lalita Gautam, who went missing from the TP Nagar area on May 15, was found dead in the Rohta area on May 17. The main accused, Ankush Kumar, was arrested on May 18, while another accused was later arrested for allegedly destroying evidence. Police said the investigation had since revealed the role of additional persons.
SSP Pandey said the victim’s family had been in regular contact with the police and action had been taken on issues raised by them.
Despite this, some people allegedly instigated the family and organised a road blockade outside the Collectorate gate on the pretext of submitting a memorandum, he said.
The SSP said persons allegedly involved in blocking the road, instigating people and playing an active role in the protest were identified through analysis of video footage and social media content.
He said the role of Digvijay Singh Bhati, who claims to be the national president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ambedkar faction), and others was being examined and legal action would be taken on the basis of available evidence.
Police also claimed that some of the identified persons have criminal antecedents. It alleged that Bhati faces multiple criminal cases in Amroha and Meerut, while Ravi Gautam has cases, including one related to murder, registered against him in Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar. Police noted that these cases are pending before courts.
Pandey said Ravi Gautam and Bhati were among those present at the protest and were attempting to vitiate the atmosphere. He also alleged that Bhati was the “mastermind” behind the entire episode and claimed that he had been externed from the district but still participated in the protest. PTI COR CDN SKY SKY
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