A post accompanying a video (here, here, and here) showing a man in police custody in front of a police station is being widely shared across social media platforms. The claim accompanying the video is that it shows Mohammad Sajid Ali, a bulldozer driver, who was arrested for vandalizing a toll booth on a highway in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Mohammad Sajid Ali, a Muslim bulldozer driver, had vandalized toll booth on a highway in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: According to media reports and the police, the accused in this incident is Dheeraj, and he does not belong to the Muslim community. The incident occurred at the Chhajarsi toll plaza in the Pilkhuwa area of Hapur on the morning of 11 June 2024. Speaking to Factly, the SHO of Pilkhuwa station confirmed that the accused’s name is Dheeraj. He also clarified that Sajid is the factory owner where the JCB vehicle is used for work, but the accused, Dheeraj, is the one who was driving and involved in the incident. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To learn more about this incident, we conducted a relevant keyword search. This search led us to several news reports (here, here and here) about the event. According to these reports, the incident occurred at the Chhajarsi toll plaza in the Pilkhuwa area of Hapur on the morning of 11 June 2024. A bulldozer driver identified as Dheeraj Kumar, allegedly intoxicated, vandalized the Chhajarsi toll plaza on the Delhi-Lucknow highway in Hapur after a dispute over toll payment. Police said that after vandalizing two toll booths, Dheeraj Kumar tried to knock down the toll staff as well.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, Hapur district’s Superintendent of Police, Abhishek Verma, said the police received a video through social media showing the driver vandalizing the Pilkhuwa toll plaza and attempting to harm toll workers. He confirmed that the driver was drunk. Taking immediate action, the police arrested Dheeraj and seized the bulldozer. A case has been registered against Dheeraj, and he is also being charged under the Goonda Act.
Hapur district’s Superintendent of Police, Abhishek Verma, also posted details regarding the Pilkhuwa toll plaza incident on X (Twitter). The post reads: “In the PILAKHUA toll incident that took place yesterday, accused Dheeraj has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody. @hapurpolice will expedite the prosecution process and ensure he gets the punishment he deserves.”The police of Hapur district also posted details regarding the Pilkhuwa toll plaza incident on X (Twitter). According to this post, the accused’s name is Dheeraj, son of Vidyaram, and he is a resident of Badaun, Uttar Pradesh.
Further, we contacted the SHO of Pilkhuwa station, who also confirmed that the accused was Dheeraj. He also said that Sajid is the factory owner where the JCB vehicle is used for work, but the accused, Dheeraj, is the one who was driving and involved in the incident. From all this information, it is clear that the accused in this incident is Dheeraj, and he does not belong to the Muslim community.
To sum it up, the video of the JCB driver vandalizing the toll plaza in Hapur is being shared with a false communal narrative
