Meerut/New Delhi, 18 Aug

An Indian Army jawan returning to duty after leave was allegedly assaulted by toll plaza employees in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district, prompting the arrest of six people, a hefty penalty and blacklisting proceedings against the toll operator by NHAI and a strong condemnation from the Indian Army.

The incident, which also sparked outrage on social media after its video surfaced, occurred on Sunday evening at the Bhuni toll plaza in Sarurpur area, when Kapil, a soldier from Gotka village posted in Srinagar, was on his way back to duty.

His car was caught in a long queue, and when he asked the toll staff to clear the way faster, an altercation broke out. The argument escalated, and Kapil was beaten up by toll plaza employees, officials said.

On the basis of CCTV footage and a complaint filed by the soldier's family, police registered a case and arrested six employees. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rakesh Kumar Mishra said efforts are on to identify and nab others involved.

Taking cognisance of the incident, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday imposed a penalty of Rs 20 lakh on the toll collection agency, M/s Dharam Singh, for what it termed a "grave breach of contract". The authority also initiated proceedings to terminate the agency's contract and debar it from future bids.

"NHAI strongly condemns such behaviour by toll plaza staff and is committed to ensuring safe and seamless travel on national highways," it said in a statement.

The Indian Army's Central Command also weighed in with a sharp reaction. In a post on X, it said: "The Army strongly condemns such incident against a serving soldier. Highest authorities of Uttar Pradesh Police have been approached to bring the guilty to book."

It added that an FIR has been registered under attempt to murder, unlawful assembly and robbery provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and that the Army had also lodged a protest with NHAI.

"The Indian Army remains committed to ensure justice and will pursue the case to its logical conclusion," the Central Command said.