By Amit Sharma

The Aligarh unit chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Om Prakash Sharma, was allegedly dragged out of his house by five policemen on Thursday morning and forcibly taken to the police station in connection with a non-bailable warrant (NBW). After the incident sparked protests, the police ordered an inquiry and initiated disciplinary action against three officials.

The police said that in 2012, Sharma had lodged a complaint with the UP Pollution Control Board regarding a factory opposite his house on ITI road in Aligarh. Later, the pollution board officials found that the complaint was false and the factory owner lodged a defamation suit against Sharma. A local court had summoned Sharma several times but he did not turn up, following which a warrant was issued by the court.

On Thursday, as news of Sharma being taken to the police station spread in Aligarh, dozens of RSS and BJP leaders marched to the Banna Devi police station and started reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. The leaders demanded the immediate suspension of the police officials and Sharma’s release. Senior police officers reached the police station and later, three policemen were sent to the Police Lines as punishment and an inquiry was ordered.

“We found in our inquiry that the cops misbehaved with the leader and we have sent to Police Lines three policemen, including the in-charge of the ITI police outpost, Arvind Kumar. An inquiry has also been ordered in this connection,” said Mrigank Shekhar, superintendent of police, Aligarh City.

Former Aligarh mayor Shakuntala Bharti, who was the first to reach the police station, claimed that the police reached Sharma’s house when he was offering prayers. “His wife told the policemen that he was praying but they did not listen and forcibly entered the room, dragged Sharma out of his house and did not allow him to even wear his footwear,” Bharti alleged

The SP apologised to the protesting BJP and RSS leaders and Sharma was later sent back to his house in a police jeep.

This story was originally published in indianexpress.com.