The alleged 'mastermind' behind the violence that erupted during a workers’ protest in Noida has been arrested from Tamil Nadu after a multi-state manhunt involving surveillance and intelligence inputs. Aditya Anand, who carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh,was apprehended from TiruchirappalliRailway Station by a joint team of Noida Police and the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force.
The workers’ protest in Noida, which spiralled into large-scale violence on April 13, was initially sparked by demands for higher wages and better working conditions. The unrest brought activity in key industrial areas to a halt and prompted a heavy security deployment across the city. The agitation widened a day later, with domestic workers in several high-rise societies,including Cleo County, joining in and raising similar demands for better pay. Faced with mounting pressure, the administration responded with a mix of strict enforcement and policy concessions.
In a significant move aimed at easing tensions, the state government announced a 20-21% hike in minimum wages, to be implemented retrospectively from April 1.
Police said the accused had been on the run since the protest turned violent, prompting authorities to intensify efforts to track him down. “Following the incident, the accused had been absconding. The Gautam Buddh Nagar court had subsequently issued a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against him. Dedicated police teams were deployed and conducted raids across multiple states in an effort to track him down,” said officers.
Investigators relied on electronic surveillance and technical intelligence to trace his movements. “Intensive efforts using electronic surveillance and other technical means finally led us to him,” a police officer said.
Aditya Anand was eventually located and arrested at Tiruchirappalli Railway Station, marking a breakthrough in the case.
Police said Anand played a central role in planning and executing the violence linked to the workers’ agitation in Noida’s Phase 2 area. “The arrest was carried out under the direction of Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh and supervised by Additional Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Dr Rajeev Narayan Mishra. A case had been registered against Aditya Anand at the Phase 2 police station for allegedly masterminding and orchestrating the violent activities that took place during a workers’ sit-in and demonstration in the area,” read a statement issued by the Noida Police.
Earlier, police had identified three individuals leading the protest, including Anand, Rupesh Roi and Manisha Chauhan. Roi and Chauhan were arrested on April 11.
Authorities also flagged the role of two social media accounts allegedly operated from Pakistan, which were suspected of spreading misleading information and disrupting public order. Further legal proceedings against Anand are now under way as investigators continue to examine the broader network behind the unrest.
Sudhanshu Mishra is a Senior Copy Editor at Times Now. While his day-to-day work centres on news, his writing interests lie in the intersections of cu...View More
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
