NIT Jamshedpur Graduate Masterminded Noida Industrial Violence: Police

Jamshedpur/Noida: Investigation of the April 13 violence in Gautam Buddha Nagar in Noida has revealed that a former B.Tech student of the Steel City is at the heart of the incident. Police have identified Aditya Anand, a B.Tech graduate from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jamshedpur, as the alleged mastermind behind a pre-planned conspiracy to incite industrial unrest.

Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh revealed, “The incident was not a spontaneous protest but part of a pre-planned conspiracy.” “Two co-conspirators, Rupesh Roi and Manisha Chauhan, were arrested on April 11, while Aditya Anand remains at large,” a senior police official said.

Investigators found that the trio arrived in Noida between March 31 and April 1 to conduct reconnaissance. They rapidly mobilized thousands of workers using WhatsApp groups recruited via QR codes. By April 10, the group allegedly led provocative marches and delivered speeches inciting workers to block roads.

Gautam Buddha Nagar witnessed violent worker protests in support of salary hikes earlier this month. Police investigations revealed a coordinated misinformation campaign and instigation. Clashes between police and demonstrators led to vehicles being set on fire and stone-pelting. Thousands of labourers took to the streets across 83 locations. While most gatherings were peaceful, violence broke out at two main sites, leading to the use of force by police. Misleading videos and posts—including one falsely depicting worker deaths in police firing—were widely circulated on social media to fuel anger.

Cyber cops traced two X (formerly Twitter) accounts—@Proudindiannavi and @Mir_Ilyas_INC—to Pakistan. These handles used VPNs to spread false claims that police action had killed 20 people and injured 99.

Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh added that these handles were booked “for spreading misleading information electronically with the intention of disrupting public peace and law and order, as well as for spreading fear and anger among the public.” She added that a technical analysis of the accounts “revealed that they were being operated from Pakistan with the use of VPNs.”

The Noida police have registered 13 FIRs, and 62 people have been arrested in connection with the violence. Regarding the current status of the industrial zone, Commissioner Laxmi Singh stated: “The situation in Gautam Buddha Nagar has been completely normal since yesterday. Various industrial establishments and units in Gautam Buddha Nagar are open, and workers are working peacefully.”

Addressing the resolution of the workers’ underlying grievances, she added, “The terms of the agreement reached with workers are being implemented. This has brought satisfaction to all workers, and dialogue is ongoing.”

Authorities have initiated proceedings to freeze the suspects’ bank accounts and are currently searching for the absconding Aditya Anand, with indications that strict action under the National Security Act (NSA) may follow.