TV actor Aansh Arora had accused the Ghaziabad Police of thrashing him mercilessly, however, the cops say it was a cover-up
Ashni Dhaor and Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; May 20, 2019)

Aansh Arora, known for TV shows like Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki, has filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission against the Ghaziabad Police, alleging torture by the police on the night of May 12. According to his complaint, he had an altercation with the staff of a convenience store in Shopprix Mall, Vaishali, on May 11. On May 12, when he went back to resolve the dispute, he says the staff called the police, who took him and his brother to the Indirapuram Police Station at around 2am. There, according to Aansh, he was subjected to police brutality till about 3am.

‘WHY DID THE POLICE BEAT ME UP LIKE A CRIMINAL?’
Aansh Arora told us, “I went to Shoprix Mall, Ghaziabad, on May 11, and had ordered food. After the staff told me that there would be a delay in the order, I asked them to cancel the order. The staff behaved rudely with me and we argued. I got really angry and broke a few items at the shop. But I felt really guilty about the whole incident, so on May 12, at around 1.30-2 am, I went to apologise to them. I told them that I’m ready to pay for the damage.”

The actor says that the staff instead called the cops from the PCR van stationed outside the mall. He says, “The policemen didn’t listen to me and took me to the police station. Meanwhile, my brother, who was waiting for me in the parking lot, tried to ask the police why they were taking me, so they took him to the police station as well. They registered an FIR against me under Section 151 (of the Code Of Criminal Procedure - arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offence).”

Aansh adds, “I don’t understand why they took me to the police station and locked me up as if I were a criminal. The police took away our phones and didn’t even allow us to inform our parents. There were around five-six cops who thrashed me inside the lock-up with their belts. The next day, at around 10.30 am, they took my brother to another room and beat him up. They even made me count from 1 to 40, and each time I reached 40, they hit me. In fact, they said, ‘If you miss a number, you’ll have to start again.’ When we didn’t reach home that night, our parents arrived at the same police station to file a missing persons complaint, but the police misled them. However, after making inquiries, our parents got to know that we were in the lock-up.”

Aansh and his brother were produced in the evening court of the SDM Ghaziabad on May 12 and granted bail. Aansh says, “After the Ghaziabad Police released me, we went to a nearby hospital for a medical checkup and thankfully everything was fine. But the next day, after I complained of chest pain and went to the hospital, the doctors asked for some tests and kept me under observation. I decided to write to the Human Rights Commission and to the DGP UP because I thought that if the police can behave like this with me, how do they behave with common people? My parents also went to meet the SSP Ghaziabad and he has assured action against the policemen of Indirapuram Police Station.”

AANSH INJURED OUR CONSTABLES: GHAZIABAD POLICE
The Ghaziabad Police has refuted the allegations of brutality. “When Aansh visited the store the day after the altercation, the store manager dialled 100 and a PCR van went to the spot. When the police confronted Aansh about his behaviour the preceding night, woh badtameezi karne laga, nakhun mare hain constables ko. After this, he was sent to preventive custody at the Indirapuram Police Station. His allegations of police brutality are absolutely baseless. He is doing this only to shield himself as there is proof of him creating a ruckus at the store, and breaking their monitors,” says Aparna Gautam, Circle Officer, Indirapuram.

SSP Ghaziabad Upendra Kumar Aggarwal tells us, “The CCTV footage of Aansh vandalising the store is already all over social media and one can see how he is behaving. In relation to this, he was booked under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Maybe he is trying to shield himself by complaining against the police. We will investigate his claims.” The application to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate to file a case under CrPC 151 is under the actor’s real name, Gitesh Kumar.



AANSH VANDALISED OUR STORE OVER A HOTDOG: STORE MANAGER
According to the store manager of the convenience store, Aansh was asked to wait for a while as he had ordered a hotdog. “Within five minutes of being told that the hotdog would take some time, the man started yelling, ‘Mujhko aankhein dikha raha hai?’ at our staff. Then he started vandalising the store. He got away that day and we couldn’t call the police, but the next day, when he came back, we immediately dialled 100. We are not sure if he was drunk, but it seemed like he was definitely on something,” says the store manager, who did not wish to be named.