Ghaziabad police have taken stringent action against members of a right-wing outfit for allegedly distributing weapons in a public area, leading to widespread fear and disruption. An FIR has been registered against a total of 46 individuals, including the group's leader, with ten arrests made on the spot.
Chaos Erupts Over Public Sword Distribution
On Monday, the Ghaziabad police lodged a formal complaint against Pinky Chaudhary (49), also known as Bhupendra Chaudhary, who leads the Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD), along with 45 other members of the organization. The charge stems from an incident where they were allegedly handing out swords and other weapons to the public in the Shalimar Garden area.
Police authorities stated they were alerted to the activity through social media footage. Acting swiftly, more than 50 officers from the Shalimar Garden and Sahibabad police stations, accompanied by two Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), rushed to the location. The complaint leading to the FIR was formally submitted by Sub-Inspector Pradeep Kumar.
Police Action and Accused's Justification
According to the First Information Report, the accused, including Chaudhary and his associates, were seen aggressively brandishing swords and shouting slogans outside the HRD office on Buddha Bazar Road in Shalimar Garden Extension-02. This act created a highly volatile and chaotic atmosphere.
Nimish Patil, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Trans-Hindon), described a scene of panic. He reported that people on the road and in vehicles fled in terror, abandoning their cars, while local residents locked themselves inside their homes. The demonstration blocked traffic, trapping elderly citizens, children, and even ambulances, severely disrupting public order.
"To maintain public peace and law and order, a significant police force was mobilized," DCP Patil said. Upon seeing the police, the accused attempted to flee. Police managed to arrest ten individuals at the scene, though Pinky Chaudhary and several others escaped. A large cache of swords and other weapons was seized from the location.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Kapil Kumar, Shyam Yadav, Arun Jain, Ram Pal, Amit Singh, Amit Kumar, Devendra Baghel, Ujala Singh, Amit Arora, and Mohit Kumar.
Legal Charges and Past Record of the Accused
The FIR has been registered against 16 named persons and 30 unidentified individuals under serious sections of the law. The charges include rioting, rioting armed with a deadly weapon, and wrongful confinement under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
When confronted about the sword distribution, Pinky Chaudhary defended the action, stating that Hindus must strengthen themselves for their own security, suggesting events similar to those in Bangladesh could occur in India. He claimed his organization distributed over 250 swords on Sunday and criticized the government for not providing arm licenses to Hindus.
Police records reveal that Pinky Chaudhary has more than 26 criminal cases pending against him at various police stations in Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Delhi. His legal history includes a 2006 FIR for vandalizing an Aam Aadmi Party office, a 2021 arrest for alleged communal sloganeering at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, and an August 2024 arrest for attacking shanties. In April of this year, members of his outfit defaced a portrait at Ghaziabad railway station, mistaking it for Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. An attempt to impose the Goonda Act on him in October 2023 was rolled back after protests by HRD members.
