UP: FIR lodged against iron trader who stripped off clothes at GST office

Meerut (UP): Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday lodged an FIR against a Meerut-based iron trader who had stripped down to his underwear at the GST office in Ghaziabad alleging harassment by the department, which denied the claim, officials said.

The FIR was lodged at the Sahibabad police station in Ghaziabad even as the development irked the district's iron vendor's body, which has submitted a memorandum to a senior GST officer, demanding that the case be withdrawn by 5 pm Tuesday.

Meerut-based iron trader Akshat Jain had stripped down to his underwear at the Mohan Nagar GST office in Ghaziabad and sat on a protest alleging harassment at the hands of officials of the department.

A purported video of Jain's protest was widely circulated on social media, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav sharing it on X to attack the Uttar Pradesh government.

While Jain said he resorted to the extreme measure out of frustration with the department's "persistent harassment", officials rejected the allegation and charged that Jain's company, Arihant Iron and Steel Industry, had discrepancies in a delivery challan, including a missing weighing slip.

On Monday, the Ghaziabad Iron Vendor Board submitted its memorandum to Additional Commissioner (Grade 1) Dinesh Kumar Mishra of GST department demanding the withdrawal of the police complaint.

"In the memorandum, Antriksh Srivastava, Assistant Commissioner, Unit 7 Mohan Nagar check post has been blamed for the incident of October 4. This incident happened due to his misbehaviour and provocation, which led to the reaction of the trader," Atul Kumar Jain, President of Iron Vendor Board, said.

"We have come to know through the newspaper, that they have lodged an FIR against the trader with the police," he said.

Atul Jain told PTI that Mishra has assured to take action in this matter by 5 pm tomorrow.

"If our demands are not met by 5 pm tomorrow, then all the traders of Ghaziabad will meet and decide the strategy of the movement," he added.

The department's Assistant Commissioner Antriksh Srivastava has filed a complaint against Jain in Sahibabad Police Station, accusing him of misbehaving with a government officer posted on duty, obstructing government work and tarnishing the image of the government by making a video and making it viral on social media.

On the basis of this complaint, Ghaziabad Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Upadhyay said the Sahibabad Police has started investigation by registering a case against the accused iron trader.

Jain has been booked under Section 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 352 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), he said.