On Noida-Ghaziabad border, cops from both sides clash over shuttling of migrants

NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: In a major face-off between the Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad police and authorities, around 150 labourers, who were allegedly travelling towards Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh were shuffled at least twice by the cops from both areas via the Tigri border.
There was much drama on the Tigri border which touches the Bisrakh police station area in Gautam Budh Nagar and Vijay Nagar police station area of Ghaziabad for over two hours as the trucks with the labourers seated in them, remained stranded at the border.
The incident comes two days after videos of migrants had surfaced where they alleged that GB Nagar police had been trying to shift migrants caught by them to Ghaziabad area by stuffing them in trucks.
The bone of contention was around 150 labourers – some from Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida- who had been walking towards Surajpur and Pari Chowk areas in order to reach their home districts in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and eastern UP.
According to eye-witnesses, Gautam Budh Nagar police allegedly picked them up and put them in four trucks which entered the Vijay Nagar area around 3pm.
Migrants alleged that they were picked up by the police around 10am and asked about where they had been walking towards.
“Cops picked up from near the Pari Chowk area and asked where we were headed. When we told them that we want to return to Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh, they did not allow us to move,” one of the migrants said.
Another migrant said they were put in the trucks and told that they would be dropped till Madhya Pradesh.
However, as soon as the trucks entered Ghaziabad’s Vijay Nagar area, they were noticed by the staff of SDM (Sadar) Prashant Tiwari who directed that the trucks be made to return towards Gautam Budh Nagar which the cops of the Bisrakh police station resisted.
“The trucks were made to pass through the check post after breaking the barricades of the Noida police at Tigri. Upon this, the Bisrakh cops informed the seniors and a team led by the Bisrakh SHO arrived on the spot,” a senior officer told TOI.
However, the Bisrakh police did not allow entry of the trucks from the gate to Greater Noida where multiple barricades were placed.
Soon after, police officers of the Bisrakh police too arrived at the spot and heated arguments ensued between officers of the GB Nagar and Ghaziabad police.
“They are crossing your side and entering ours, so we are not allowing this,” a Ghaziabad police sub inspector can be heard saying to an officer of Bisrakh police in a video. Upon this, a Bisrakh police officer angrily retorts saying how it can happen.
As the officers continue to argue, another officer can be heard saying “not to spoil the understanding between them.”
“Have they come on foot or in a canter? Yes or no,” a person in plain clothes can be heard asking the Ghaziabad sub-inspector as the argument gets heated up. The latter could only say that the migrants were “forcefully sent to their side.”
Resolution could only be possible around 5.30pm when the matter reached senior officers of both police forces. Till that time, the trucks full of migrant men, women and children remained stranded at the border with the truck drivers asking the cops to allow them to go at least.
When contacted, Ghaziabad’s SDM (Sadar) Prashat Tiwari told TOI that they had been picking up migrants who are walking and sending them to shelter homes.
“GBNagar authorities should also do the same. There was a rumour that some buses are leaving from Kavi Nagar Ramlila ground which was untrue. GBNagar police said that most of the migrants were from Khora which falls in Ghaziabad but there were migrants from Noida and Delhi too. If there is any confusion, the GBNagar counterparts should communicate if not in writing, at least verbally which was not done,” he said adding that around 30 people were found to have come from Ghaziabad area on foot who were taken by the Ghaziabad police and sent to shelter homes in their area.
Around 70 were found to be belonging to Noida’s Sector 63, etc and Delhi who were sent to the shelter homes in Noida and Delhi’s Makanpur, respectively.
DCP (central Noida) Harish Chander however told TOI that the matter was discussed with the Ghaziabad SSP and resolved.
“These migrants were mostly from Ghaziabad’s Khora area and others from Noida’s Sector 63 area. They have been sent to the shelter homes. The communication gap was only at the lower level. We are sending the labourers to the shelter homes from where they are being sent to their respective districts of eastern UP and Bihar border as per the availability of buses,” he said.