A30-second video showing Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Avinash Pandey slapping a protester during a demonstration over the murder of a Dalit student has triggered outrage on social media and renewed political debate in Uttar Pradesh.
The video, which went viral on Wednesday, 8th July, shows the SSP walking towards sloganeering protesters and slapping several of them before proceeding towards a police van parked nearby. He is then seen opening the van’s door and beating someone sitting inside before shutting the door and walking away.
In the footage, Pandey can be seen scolding and removing protesters gathered on the street and then slapping a person who was already inside the police vehicle. Reports suggest that the people seen in the video were among the protesters who had gathered to demand justice in the murder case of 20-year-old Lalita Gautam in Meerut.
The visuals quickly spread across social media platforms, leading to widespread criticism and demands for action against the SSP. Opposition leaders, Dalit activists and several social media users accused the police of suppressing voices demanding justice for a Dalit victim.
However, amid the growing outrage, SSP Avinash Pandey defended the police action and claimed that the protesters had turned violent and attacked police personnel during the demonstration.
SSP Avinash Pandey defends police action, says evidence supports every step
In a statement, Meerut Police said the crowd was repeatedly asked to disperse as it did not have permission to protest at the site, but the demonstration turned violent.
Police stated that one of the protesters, Ravi Gautam, threatened to immolate himself, while others blocked traffic at the Commissionerate crossing for hours, attempted to force open the gate of the District Magistrate’s office, and tried to enter the premises.
Responding to the controversy, Meerut SSP Avinash Pandey issued a video message on Friday, 10th July, in which he defended the police response and said every action taken by the police was based on evidence available to investigators. He added that the investigation and police action on the murder case have been thorough, arrests have been made and the victim family had expressed satisfaction at the police investigation. However, some vested interest groups have been trying to disrupt law and order by politicising the case and instigating the general public.
Pandey said the Constitution begins with the words “We, the People of India” and does not discriminate based on caste, religion or community. He appealed to both supporters and critics of the police to maintain peace and avoid attempts to disturb law and order.
According to the SSP, police action was directed only against individuals involved in criminal activities, and sufficient evidence existed to support every step taken by the administration. “The police have evidence against people who came from outside to spoil the atmosphere or make unnecessary statements regarding the case,” Pandey said in his video message.
He further warned that anyone attempting to undermine the dignity of the police uniform or disrupt public order would face strict legal action under the Constitution and the law. Referring to people making personal remarks against him on social media, Pandey said efforts would first be made to “counsel” such individuals. However, he added that legal action would be taken if anyone crossed legal boundaries or attempted to incite violence.
Pandey further said that anyone having doubts regarding the police investigation could approach the police and examine the video evidence collected during the probe.
Meanwhile, the SSP also disclosed the criminal history of some individuals involved in the protest. According to him, Ravi Gautam has 4 criminal cases registered against him in Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar districts.
Meerut Police described the disturbance during the protest as a “well-planned conspiracy” and claimed that some people were trying to deliberately escalate tensions.
On 8th July, police arrested Ravi Gautam and seven others in connection with the violence at the Collectorate protest. Those arrested include Ankit Kumar of Garhmukteshwar, Arvind Kumar of Noida, Hrithik Kumar of Meerut, Navneet Kumar of Moradabad, Himanshu Siddharth of Meerut and Lavi alias Shavi of Parikshitgarh.
Police also registered a case against around 50 people, including 13 named accused. The named individuals include Ravi Gautam, Sushil Gautam, Himanshu Sisodia, Sagar Lisadi, Lavi Pradhan, Bijendra Gautam, Hrithik Jatav, Mohit Jatav, Hemant Pradhan, Sanjay, Vijendra Sood, Digvijay Bhati and Ajay Kumar.
According to police, investigations involving CCTV footage, videos, audio recordings and social media posts suggest that certain elements were attempting to provoke the crowd and intensify the protest.
Police have identified Ravi Gautam and Digvijay Bhati as the conspirators behind the unrest. Bhati, a resident of Amroha, faces nine criminal cases and has already been externed from the district, police said.
What is Lalita Gautam murder case?
The protest that led to the controversy revolves around the murder of Lalita Gautam, a 20-year-old BA student from Meerut. Lalita lived with her family in Ganga Enclave under the TP Nagar police station area of Meerut and was studying in the final year of her graduation.
On 15th May 2026, she left home to appear for an examination but did not return by evening. After searching for her themselves, the family lodged a missing person’s complaint at TP Nagar police station on 16th May. Police began investigating the case and examined CCTV footage from the surrounding areas. During the investigation, Lalita was seen in CCTV footage leaving with a young man named Ankush, a resident of Kalyanpur village.
Soon after, police detained Ankush for questioning. According to investigators, Ankush eventually confessed to the crime and said that he had committed the murder. Police stated that Lalita and Ankush had been in a relationship for nearly three years and were together on the day she disappeared.
According to the media reports, Ankush saw photographs and chats with another man on Lalita’s mobile phone, which led to an argument between the two. Investigators claim that during the altercation, Ankush strangled Lalita to death and later dumped her body in a sugarcane field near Upasia village in Meerut’s Rohta area.
Lalita’s body was later recovered from the field in a mutilated condition.
Police subsequently arrested Ankush and sent him to jail. Two other individuals, Nishant and Ankit, were also arrested for helping destroy evidence after the crime. According to police officials, Lalita’s family was initially satisfied with the investigation and the arrests made in the case.
Police say murder was solved quickly, and protest was organised by outsiders.
Speaking about the controversy surrounding the protests, SSP Pandey said the murder took place on 16th May, and the main accused was arrested within 24 hours.
“The woman was murdered on May 16, and the killer was arrested within 24 hours. Those who helped him after the murder have also been arrested,” the SSP said.
He stated that CCTV footage clearly showed the victim leaving with the main accused on a motorcycle on the day she went missing and maintained that the police investigation had been evidence-based from the beginning. Pandey also said that Ravi Gautam and Digvijay Bhati, both from outside Meerut, organised the protest in an attempt to cause disruption in law and order and gather political support.
According to police, Ravi Gautam, a resident of Surajpur in Gautam Buddh Nagar, has four criminal cases registered against him, including two murder cases. Digvijay Bhati, who belongs to Amroha, faces nine criminal cases in Meerut and Amroha, including cases under the SC-ST Act. Police said proceedings had already been initiated to extern him from Amroha under the Goonda Act.
Meerut Police identified Digvijay Bhati, Ravi Gautam, Sushil Gautam and Himanshu Siddharth as key figures who incited the crowd to turn violent.
Police claim that while several accused were arrested, Digvijay managed to escape from the protest site.
An FIR was registered at Civil Lines police station against 13 named individuals and between 25 and 50 unidentified persons on charges including unlawful assembly without permission, blocking public roads, obstructing government work, attacking police personnel and spreading misleading content on social media.
Police have also said that caste-based messages and misleading social media posts were circulated to provoke anger against the administration. Officials said CCTV footage, videos and online posts are being analysed to identify additional suspects.
Opposition attacks government as politics erupts over a viral video
The viral video of SSP Avinash Pandey slapping protesters soon became a political issue in Uttar Pradesh, with opposition parties accusing the BJP government of “suppressing Dalit voices”, even though the murder case had already been solved and the police had taken action.
Samajwadi Party chief and Leader of the Opposition Akhilesh Yadav strongly criticised the police action and directly targeted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the incident. “When the head of the state publicly exemplifies insensitivity toward the mother of a deceased, it’s pointless to expect anything from his police. It’s utterly condemnable,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
The Congress party also shared the video on their Instagram account and questioned the BJP government’s claims regarding women’s safety and Dalit welfare. Their post did not mention the traffic disruption and protest at a a non-designated place.
Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad also entered the debate and announced that he would meet Lalita Gautam’s family in Meerut.
In a video statement, Azad said, “My people will respond to this with their votes, and they will do so gently that you will be hit so hard that the scars will be visible from afar.”
Rashtriya Janata Dal spokesperson Priyanka Bharti also criticised the administration, arguing that both the victim and those demanding justice belonged to the Dalit community. “Until Dalits, backward classes and tribal communities are represented according to their population, such SSPs will continue to come, and the deprived will continue to suffer this double injustice,” she said.
The recent controversy clearly shows that it is an attempt by political groups to turn a criminal case into a larger caste issue.
Meanwhile, police continue to maintain that the murder case had already been solved, the accused had been arrested, and the subsequent protest was exploited by certain individuals to create unrest and political confrontation.