Who is Aditya Anand, NIT engineer arrested as alleged mastermind of Noida violence?
The UP (STF) arrested Aditya Anand at around 1:40 am on April 18 while he was attempting to flee via Chennai
- Apr 19, 2026,
- Updated Apr 19, 2026 12:41 PM IST
The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police and the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) have jointly arrested the main accused in the violent workers' protest in Noida.
The accused, Aditya Anand, was apprehended at 1:40 AM on April 18 at Tiruchirappalli Railway Station in Tamil Nadu. He was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh and had been absconding since the incident.
Must Read: BT Explainer: What brought Noida factory workers to fight on streets
According to the police, Anand was the alleged mastermind behind the violent protests that took place during a labour movement in the Gautam Buddh Nagar area. A case had been registered against him, and a non-bailable warrant had also been issued by a local court on April 16. The police officials said that Anand was involved in orchestrating provocative activities and inciting violence during labour sit-ins and demonstrations in the district. The police teams had been conducting raids across multiple states to trace him before finally arresting him in Tamil Nadu.
Who is Aditya Anand?
Aditya Anand is originally from Hazaribagh. He holds a BTech degree from NIT Jamshedpur and was recruited as a software engineer at a private firm in Noida through campus placement, according to The Times of India. He earlier lived in Gurgaon for work before moving back to Noida in June 2025. At the time of the protest, he was reportedly staying in rented accommodation in Sector 37.
Anand first came into contact with Mazdoor Bigul via Facebook in 2022, after which he began documenting factory workers' conditions in the city. In 2023, he met co-accused Rupesh Roy during the Bhagat Singh Jan Adhikar Yatra. Roy was arrested on April 11 along with Manisha Chauhan as alleged conspirators. Mazdoor Bigul, a group which focuses on labour rights issues, is led by Anubhav Sinha.
Police said Anand later deepened his association with the group's leadership and took part in protests across the country. Investigators have also linked him to the Disha Student Organisation, Revolutionary Workers' Party of India, and Naujavan Bharat Sabha. Multiple teams from Noida Police and the STF were deployed across several states to track him after initial inputs suggested he may have fled to Delhi.
Aditya confesses to the crime
Aditya has confessed to his role in the conspiracy behind the violence that broke out during the labour protest, India Today reported on Sunday. The police said that Anand allegedly orchestrated the plan to turn the workers' protest into a violent incident. He allegedly organised provocative activities and executed the events in a systematic and pre-planned manner.
Police are continuing to question the accused to identify other individuals involved and to determine whether any larger network or external links are connected to the case. Authorities are proceeding with further action based on electronic surveillance and technical evidence, while intensifying efforts to locate other suspects.
The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police and the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) have jointly arrested the main accused in the violent workers' protest in Noida.
The accused, Aditya Anand, was apprehended at 1:40 AM on April 18 at Tiruchirappalli Railway Station in Tamil Nadu. He was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh and had been absconding since the incident.
Must Read: BT Explainer: What brought Noida factory workers to fight on streets
According to the police, Anand was the alleged mastermind behind the violent protests that took place during a labour movement in the Gautam Buddh Nagar area. A case had been registered against him, and a non-bailable warrant had also been issued by a local court on April 16. The police officials said that Anand was involved in orchestrating provocative activities and inciting violence during labour sit-ins and demonstrations in the district. The police teams had been conducting raids across multiple states to trace him before finally arresting him in Tamil Nadu.
Who is Aditya Anand?
Aditya Anand is originally from Hazaribagh. He holds a BTech degree from NIT Jamshedpur and was recruited as a software engineer at a private firm in Noida through campus placement, according to The Times of India. He earlier lived in Gurgaon for work before moving back to Noida in June 2025. At the time of the protest, he was reportedly staying in rented accommodation in Sector 37.
Anand first came into contact with Mazdoor Bigul via Facebook in 2022, after which he began documenting factory workers' conditions in the city. In 2023, he met co-accused Rupesh Roy during the Bhagat Singh Jan Adhikar Yatra. Roy was arrested on April 11 along with Manisha Chauhan as alleged conspirators. Mazdoor Bigul, a group which focuses on labour rights issues, is led by Anubhav Sinha.
Police said Anand later deepened his association with the group's leadership and took part in protests across the country. Investigators have also linked him to the Disha Student Organisation, Revolutionary Workers' Party of India, and Naujavan Bharat Sabha. Multiple teams from Noida Police and the STF were deployed across several states to track him after initial inputs suggested he may have fled to Delhi.
Aditya confesses to the crime
Aditya has confessed to his role in the conspiracy behind the violence that broke out during the labour protest, India Today reported on Sunday. The police said that Anand allegedly orchestrated the plan to turn the workers' protest into a violent incident. He allegedly organised provocative activities and executed the events in a systematic and pre-planned manner.
Police are continuing to question the accused to identify other individuals involved and to determine whether any larger network or external links are connected to the case. Authorities are proceeding with further action based on electronic surveillance and technical evidence, while intensifying efforts to locate other suspects.