The prime accused who incited violence during thelabour protests in Noida earlier this month has been arrested, police said on Saturday. Aditya Anand was apprehended at Tiruchirappalli Railway Station jointly by the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police and the Special Task Force.
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They tracked him down to Tamil Nadu after days on the run, PTI reported. He was carrying a reward of ₹1 lakh. A non-bailable warrant was earlier issued against him by a local court in Gautam Buddh Nagar.
According to police, Anand was the one behind the violence that broke out during a peacefulworkers’ protest in Noida’s industrial areas. He is a software engineer at NIT and is suspected to have planned and coordinated activities that escalated the protest, officials said. He is booked under the Phase-2 police station.
The Noida workers’ protest
Earlier this week, thousands offactory workers gathered in Noida to demand higher wages and better working conditions. Most of the workers were contract labourers employed in small industrial units producing auto parts, electronics and garments.
Many earn between ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 a month for 8 to 12-hour shifts and have long complained of low wages and poor conditions. They were demanding a payment of ₹20,000 monthly.
The protests were linked to a recent decision by the Haryana government to increase minimum wages by about 35%.
What began as largely peaceful demonstrations soon escalated. Security forces used tear gas and lathi charged people to disperse the crowds. Female workers present for the demonstrations told news agency ANI thatpolice used excessive force, including beating women.
300 arrested
The situation turned volatile in areas like Phase-2 and Sector 63. Some allegedly set vehicles on fire and pelted stones.
More than 300 people were arrested under preventive provisions for arson and vandalism, while over 100 others were detained for questioning, police said.
Investigators said Anand played a role in mobilising people and spreading provocative content. Police are also examining the use of social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Instagram, where chat groups were reportedly created overnight to organise the protests.
Police teams conducted raids in multiple states before locating Anand in Tamil Nadu. He is now being questioned to identify others involved and to determine whether there were any other links behind the mobilisation.
Labour department cracks down
The Labour department has launched a crackdown in Noida’s industrial areas following the unrest. Notices have been issued to203 contractors across 24 factories to pay ₹1,16,05,067 to workers.
Licences of contractors have been cancelled for alleged violations of labour laws. This includes not paying even minimum wages and failure to ensure workplace safety.
(With inputs from PTI)
