The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday made a major revelation in the recent violence during workers' protests in Noida. Laxmi Singh, Police Commissioner of Gautam Buddha Nagar, said the violence during the demonstration was premeditated and part of an organised conspiracy driven by mala fide intentions.
Addressing a press conference, Singh revealed that individuals, including Manisha Chauhan, Rupesh Rai, and Aditya Anand, have emerged as key names in allegedly instigating labourers. "Rupesh has been continuously traveling across the country since 2018, and Aditya since 2020. They often appear at sites of unrest. While Rupesh identifies himself as an auto-rickshaw driver, Aditya claims to be unemployed," she said.
The probe has also uncovered the involvement of two 'X' (formerly Twitter) handles allegedly being operated from Pakistan, along with the use of WhatsApp groups to mobilise and incite participants.
Conspiracy to incite violence began on March 31
Singh also presented a detailed timeline of the events, asserting that the violence was driven by mala fide intentions and was not spontaneous in nature.
"On March 31 and April 1, Rupesh and Aditya were observed moving together within Noida. On April 9 and 10, WhatsApp groups were created by circulating QR codes. On April 10, the laborers staged a protest, and on April 11, they were incited to block the roads. Subsequently, on April 11, when a peaceful settlement was reached, these individuals delivered inflammatory speeches to provoke the laborers," Singh said.
Misinformation was spread to incite protesters
She further said that the accused had allegedly incited workers on April 13 to gather outside the Motherson facility in Noida. She confirmed that Rupesh and Manisha Chauhan have been arrested, while Aditya Anand remains absconding.
According to the police, even after the protest was brought under control, misinformation was spread through two 'X' (formerly Twitter) accounts. Investigators found that several labourers were actively viewing these posts during the agitation.
An FIR in connection with the incident was registered at the Sector-20 police station on the same day. Following the violence, the alleged main conspirator Aditya Anand reportedly changed his appearance and fled the scene, police added.
Pakistan's hand in the Noida violence
Singh said that most of those arrested in connection with the violence were not labourers, while workers directly involved in the unrest have not been detained so far. She added that the alleged main conspirator, Aditya Anand, is still on the run.
"There is an element seeking to destabilize the industrial sector. Using a database, workers were incited via social media. Thirteen cases have been registered, involving specific social media accounts. So far, 62 arrests have been made. This includes nine individuals involved in acts of arson. These individuals were part of the mob that attacked the police. The majority of those arrested are not laborers. Some individuals involved in the violence had arrived from outside the area. Action will be initiated against them under the National Security Act (NSA)," Singh said.
The Police Commissioner noted that the situation in Noida has remained peaceful over the past two days, with flag marches being carried out and workers resuming duties across shifts.
She further revealed that on April 13, false information was circulated through two social media X accounts, which allegedly incited the crowd by claiming that police had killed several people during the firing. Cases have been registered in this regard.
According to the investigation, both X handles are being operated from Pakistan. Singh also said that thousands of workers were linked to this network through QR codes used to mobilise and spread messages. "The investigation revealed that both of these 'X' handles were being operated from Pakistan. They utilized Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to mask their activity. These accounts have been operating from Pakistan for the past three months.
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