NHAI slaps Rs 20 lakh fine on UP toll plaza where soldier was assaulted

An 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 (National Highways Authority of India) and a strong condemnation from the Indian Army.

The incident, which also sparked protests by Meerut locals and outrage on social media after its video surfaced, occurred on Sunday evening at Bhuni toll plaza in Sarurpur area, when Kapil, a soldier from Gotka village posted in Srinagar, was headed to Delhi airport.

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 the toll staff and some local youths allegedly tied Kapil and his companions to a pole and assaulted them. He said efforts are on to identify and nab others involved.

Taking cognisance of the incident, the 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.

Besides the backlash on social media, the incident also triggered public protests on Monday, with angry villagers gathering at the toll plaza, raising slogans and allowing vehicles to pass without toll payment. The protestors demanded that the licence of the toll collection company be cancelled.

BJP leader and former Sardhana MLA Thakur Sangeet Som also reached the site and joined the villagers in a sit-in protest.

SP (rural) Mishra said additional police forces from several stations were rushed to the spot to control the situation and pacify the crowd.

Based on CCTV footage and the written complaint, six accused — identified as Sachin, Vijay, Anuj, Ankit, Suresh Rana and Ankit Sharma — have been arrested for assaulting the soldier and will be produced before the court, Mishra said.