Twenty-seven people, including 19 women, from Harola village here were arrested by Sector 20 police on Sunday in connection with a brawl between two groups over setting up of roadside stalls.
Stating that similar incidents had happened in the past too, the police said the arrests were made to restore peace in the area. The police said the incident happened on Sunday, after permanent residents stopped a group of tenants in the village from setting up makeshift stalls in a park. This led to a heated argument, which culminated in a fist fight.
“The police control room received information about the brawl around 1 p.m. A police team was immediately sent to the spot. However, the villagers refused to cooperate with the police and started arguing with the team. All of them were eventually booked and brought to the police station,” said Sector 20 police station SHO Manoj Kumar Pant. He added that setting up stalls in parks is prohibited. “The Noida Authority had removed these stalls as part of its anti-encroachment drive. However, the villagers always reset their shops,” the SHO said.
A total of 27 people, including 19 women, have been booked under Sections 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of a cognizable crime), 107 (security for keeping the peace) and 116 (inquiry as to the truth of information) of the Indian Penal Code, he said.
“Arguments between residents and tenants in the area are common but have never turned violent before. In order to prevent crime and to restore peace, we booked all the accused under relevant sections of the IPC. They were produced before a Magistrate. The women were released after they signed an undertaking while the men were sent to jail,” Mr. Pant said.
