Seven arrested for ‘attack’ on Ghaziabad wedding procession

Seven arrested in Loni for attacking wedding procession; altercation over dancing led to injuries. Police deny bias; investigation ongoing.

Seven people have been arrested in connection with an attack on a wedding procession in Loni’s Prashant Vihar late Sunday night, police said on Tuesday. The accused, all locals, allegedly pelted stones and assaulted guests with rods and sticks, leaving several people injured. The incident, which unfolded around 11pm, is believed to have stemmed from an altercation over dancing in the procession, police said, adding that they do not suspect any caste or communal angle behind the clash.

The incident drew the attention of Loni MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar, after meeting the victim family alleged that the police acted in a “biased manner” and attempted to “dilute the severity” of the crime. (Representational image)

The wedding procession was for the son of Mahavir Singh, a resident of Bagranap. Singh alleged that trouble began when some people joined the procession and started dancing, using abusive language. When they were asked to leave, they returned with reinforcements and launched an attack. “Some of them climbed rooftops and started pelting stones. About 15 to 20 guests, including women, were injured, and two people suffered wounds seemingly caused by sharp-edged weapons. The police arrived half an hour later but did not take anyone for a medical examination,” Singh said.

According to the police, a suo motu FIR was registered at 8.31pm on Monday under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 191(2) (rioting), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace). The suspects were identified as Abdul, 30; Tahir, 28; Hasnain, 23; Usman, 38; Sajid, 26; Ehsan, 34; and Junaid, 25, all of whom go by single names, according to police, were arrested.

The incident drew the attention of Loni MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar, who met with the victim’s family and assured them of strict action against the attackers. He alleged that the police acted in a “biased manner” and attempted to “dilute the severity” of the crime. “The women in the family told me that they were also attacked, and their mangalsutras were snatched. Some money from guests was also taken away. However, instead of registering an FIR based on the victims’ complaint, the police filed a case on their own without including the proper sections,” Gurjar said.

However, police officials denied receiving any complaint from the victims until Monday evening. Assistant commissioner of police (Loni circle) Suryabali Maurya said that officers took cognisance of the incident and registered the FIR to prevent unnecessary delays. “The victims did not approach us until 7pm on Monday. They came at around 5.30pm for a medical examination, which was conducted upon request,” Maurya said.

“Several complaints by the family were doing the rounds over social media, but we did not receive any complaints. In case we do, we will get the complaint and statements of the victims as part of the investigation, and BNS sections may be added based on evidence,” Maurya added. He further clarified that the investigation is ongoing, with CCTV footage being reviewed to identify other suspects. “There is no caste or communal angle to the incident,” he said.