Ghaziabad, July 30: An enraged group of Kanwariyas vandalized and overturned a police vehicle in Ghaziabad after it allegedly entered a lane designated for the pilgrimage procession and collided with a pilgrim. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, sparking a violent reaction from the devotees.
The vehicle, operated by the vigilance department of the power corporation, accidentally entered the restricted lane and reportedly hit a pilgrim, triggering the mob’s fury. Videos circulating on social media show the Kanwariyas using sticks, rods, bricks, and baseball bats to smash the vehicle’s windows and tail lights before overturning it. The footage also captures some of the pilgrims climbing atop the vehicle to continue their destruction.
Police teams promptly arrived at the scene and managed to pacify the agitated crowd, assuring them that the sacred Ganga water carried by the devotees was not spilled during the incident, reported the Indian Express. Ghaziabad police announced on X (formerly Twitter) that a case has been registered, and those involved in the vandalism will be identified and face legal action.
“The persons involved in the vandalism will be identified and further legal action will be taken soon,” the statement read.
The driver of the SUV, Avnish Tyagi, has been detained. Tyagi claimed he was on his way to the Hydel Kavi Nagar office to perform his duties as a Hydel vigilance officer, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Kumar.
In a separate incident, another video surfaced showing a Kanwariya mob beating a man in full public view. The Kanwar Yatra, which began on July 22, has seen multiple incidents of violence and vandalism across Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier this week, a mob of Kanwariyas brutally assaulted a mentally disturbed man for allegedly waving a stick at them. A shocking video of the attack, which went viral on social media, shows the victim being mercilessly flogged by the mob while bystanders recorded the assault on their phones.
