Grand Omaxe case: Swami Prasad Maurya sends Rs 11.50 cr defamation notice to Noida police chief

Swami Prasad Maurya, leader of the Samajwadi Party, said on Saturday that he has filed a defamation suit against the Gautam Buddha Nagar police commissioner for linking him to politician Shrikant Tyagi, who is accused of assaulting a woman.

According to a copy of the notice shared on social media by Maurya, who is also a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council,  has demanded Rs 11.50 crore in general and specific compensation for loss of reputation and family honor, mental torment, and physical agony.

Regarding the Vidhan Sabha pass found in the Shrikant Tyagi case, the police commissioner of Gautam Buddha Nagar acted irresponsibly and tried to damage my image, name, and popularity around the country through the press without conducting an investigation. In this case, I have filed a defamation suit, Maurya tweeted in Hindi.

पुलिस कमिश्नर गौतमबुद्धनगर ने वि.स. पास को लेकर श्रीकांत त्यागी प्रकरण में बिना जांच-पड़ताल किये गैर जिम्मेदाराना हरकत कर प्रेस के माध्यम से पूरे देश में मेरी छवि-प्रतिष्ठा एवं लोकप्रियता को धूमिल करने का प्रयास किया, उसके परिप्रेक्ष्य में मानहानि करने सम्बन्धी कानूनी नोटिस भेजी। pic.twitter.com/ESAM72R9bE

— Swami Prasad Maurya (@SwamiPMaurya) August 13, 2022

During the press conference on August 9 in Noida, Police Commissioner Alok Singh said: "He (Tyagi) also had a sticker on one of his vehicles which is given to honourable MLAs. Tyagi told police during questioning that this sticker was provided to him by his associate Swami Prasad Maurya.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Gautam Buddh Nagar police said, "Today information has been received through social media that a notice/letter has been issued by an advocate on behalf of former cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya in the context of the press conference held on August 9."

"In this regard, it is to be informed that no such notice/letter has been officially received by the Noida Commissionerate Police. After receiving the said notice/letter and studying the facts mentioned in it, a suitable answer will be prepared and sent to the concerned, it said.

Maurya served as a cabinet minister in the first term of the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, beginning in 2017. However, he switched to the Samajwadi Party prior to the 2022 state elections.

Shrikant Tyagi was arrested on August 9 in Noida for assaulting and abusing a female co-resident of his society. He has also been charged with cheating and violating the Gangsters Act. The cheating case involved the misuse of a sticker given to Uttar Pradesh MLAs and a state government symbol found on his car.

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