Samajwadi Party leader arrested for assaulting toll plaza staffers

A Samajwadi Party leader was today arrested for allegedly assaulting some staff members of a toll plaza along with his associates at Barajor in Kanpur Rural district, police said.

Suresh Chandra Yadav alias 'Fauji' was arrested from a roadside restaurant with a pistol and a revolver whose licence has expired, Superintendent of Police Kripashankar Singh, adding that a search is on for his 12 associates.

The SP said the arrest was made after the toll plaza authorities had filed a complaint yesterday alleging that Suresh and his aides assaulted some staff members when they were asked to pay toll charges on January 4.

Police are searching the other accused on the basis of the CCTV footage, the SP said, adding that Yadav had named some of the party activists involved in the assault.

Asked whether the arrested person is an SP leader, Singh said, "After the SP returned to power, all criminals say that they are leaders of the party," and stressed "law will take its course whether the accused are party activists or not".

Local sources, however, said that Suresh is a leader of an organisation affiliated to the SP.