Shrikant Tyagi case: As wife acknowledges husband's mistake, he calls it 'conspiracy' for his 'political murder'

Following the arrest of her husband for abusing and assaulting a woman in Noida, self-proclaimed BJP leader Shrikant Tyagi’s wife Anu Tyagi said that he should have apologised then and there, and that everything that followed the incident was being blown out of proportion. She also acknowledged that whatever happened was wrong. 

"What happened was wrong, he should`ve apologised. The topic was that he insulted a woman. It should have been handled like that. But everything is now being dragged. Our car, trees, house, everything has suddenly become illegal," Anu Tyagi told ANI.

She further stressed that they were just planting trees."We were just planting trees. My husband was provoked. He would have said sorry and apologised. I, my children are being treated very badly by everyone around us," she added.

Anu’s remarks came a day after Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Shrikant Tyagi on Tuesday, who was recently seen in a viral video assaulting and abusing a woman at Grand Omaxe in Noida’s Sector 93 and was on the run ever since.

On the contrary, Tyagi alleged that the episode is a "political conspiracy" for his "political murder". The 34-year-old, who claims to be a BJP leader, also said he has expressed regret over the matter and dubbed it as "political".

"I have expressed regret over the episode. But this is a political case carried out with an intention for my political murder," Tyagi told reporters on Tuesday night as he was being taken to the Luksar jail from the local court.

In another video that surfaced on social media, Tyagi purportedly confessed to the assault on the woman being a"mistake" and called her "like my sister".

Tyagi was arrested Tuesday morning from Meerut, four days after he absconded assaulting and abusing a woman with whom he had a row over planting of trees in what has alleged to be the common area of the society. Both Tyagi and the woman live in the same housing society located in Sector 93B of Noida.

Tyagi was remanded into a 14-day judicial custody after he was booked under the Gangsters Act, among others, according to officials.

"She is a woman and she is like my sister. Certainly, it was a mistake on my part and I do realise it. If she thinks I should apologise to her, then I can do it," Tyagi is allegedly heard saying in the video.

"Whatever I said in rage to her I realised later that such language should not be used against anyone in life," he added.

He then says that the palm trees, which were at the centre of the spat that broke out on Friday, were being planted in the lawn in front of his ground floor apartment. The apartment was purchased at an extra 5-6 per cent cost under the preferred location charge system by the builder of Grand Omaxe society, Tyagi claimed.

Tyagi had allegedly hurled expletives and assaulted the woman co-resident of Grand Omaxe who had objected to him planting trees in the common area of the society in Noida Sector 93B last Friday. Tyagi had claimed he was well within his rights to do so.

As videos of the episode surfaced on social media and drew condemnation, an FIR was lodged and Tyagi booked under Indian Penal Code Section 354 (assault or use of criminal force on any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty).

Later, charges under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 447 (criminal trespass) were also added in the case, officials said. During the probe, police also impounded two vehicles of Tyagi, which were found in violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. One of his SUVs, the officials said, had a symbol of the Uttar Pradesh government on it but it was unauthorised.

Subsequently, another FIR was lodged under IPC Sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating) and 482 (using false property mark), the officials said, while he was also booked under the Gangsters Act.

Until he went underground Friday night, Tyagi claimed to be the national executive member of the BJP's Kisan Morcha and the national co-coordinator of its Yuva Samiti, even as the ruling party denied any links with him.

The Opposition has also mounted an attack on the BJP over the issue, sharing pictures allegedly of Tyagi with senior saffron party leaders, including its national president J P Nadda.