The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF) said on Sunday that the recent workers’ protests in Noida were allegedly part of a larger, planned movement that was meant to continue in several stages until at least May. The information came a day after the arrest of a 28-year-old engineering graduate in connection with the case from Tamil Nadu, Hindustan Times reported.
The accused, Aditya Anand, who holds a B.Tech degree, was arrested from Tiruchirappalli railway station in Tamil Nadu in the early hours of Saturday. Police officials were quoted by HT saying that he was brought to Gautam Budh Nagar on Sunday after legal formalities, including transit remand, were completed. He was then presented before a local court and sent to jail.
Two other suspects had already been arrested earlier on April 11. One of them is a resident of Kulersa in Noida, while the other is from Delhi. All three accused are originally from different districts in Bihar and are currently in judicial custody, as per the HT report.
Planned multi-phase protest
According to officials from the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF), the group had carefully planned the protests. “We have recovered multiple electronic evidence, including a documentary, in which it was found that the suspect, along with other accomplices, had planned to instigate the Noida workers’ protest in multiple phases,” HT quoted Raj Kumar Mishra, additional superintendent of police, UPSTF, as saying.
Police believe that a core group of around 24 individuals, linked to various activism groups, played a key role in organising and encouraging the protests. Their activities were not limited to Noida but were also noticed in Delhi, Haryana’s Manesar, and some parts of southern India. Officials added that the group had been active in Haryana since early February, HT reported.
Network and background of accused
Investigators found that the recently arrested suspect came into contact with one of the earlier arrested individuals in 2023. The co-accused from Kulersa had formed a local group to raise issues related to residents living without electricity connections. In 2025, he had also organised a protest outside the district magistrate’s office in Gautam Budh Nagar, as per the report.
Police said that after the protests in Noida turned violent on April 13, the main suspect left the city. Authorities are now examining the financial support behind the protests. While some funding sources have been identified, efforts are ongoing to uncover the full network and identify others who may have supported the movement, HT reported.
When he was produced before a local court in Chennai, a number of advocates gathered on his behalf. However, UP Police officials obtained the remand and brought him to Gautam Budh Nagar. Officials said the three were identified using digital footprints and their presence at multiple locations, according to the report.
The protests by factory workers began on April 10 in Noida’s Phase 2 area. The demonstrations were allegedly triggered by a decision of the Haryana government to increase wages of workers by 35 percent across different categories.
Initially, the protests remained small and peaceful for three days. However, on April 13, the situation escalated quickly and turned violent. During the unrest, more than 100 factories were damaged, and several vehicles were set on fire across the district, HT reported.