In a dramatic cross-state operation, Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) arrested Aditya Anand alias Rasti, the alleged ‘mastermind’ behind the violent Noida workers’ protest, at Tiruchirappalli Railway Station in Tamil Nadu. Carrying a Rs 1 lakh reward, the BTech graduate from NIT Jamshedpur confessed to orchestrating the chaos during interrogation. This breakthrough caps a multi-state manhunt, bringing swift justice to one of the key instigators of the inflammatory labour unrest.
Who is Aditya Anand?
Aditya Anand, the alleged mastermind behind the violent Noida workers’ protest, is a BTech graduate from NIT Jamshedpur who transitioned from software engineering to activism. Originally from Hazaribagh, he was arrested by Uttar Pradesh STF at Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) Railway Station after a cross-country manhunt, ending his bid to escape via Chennai.
Noida workers’ protest: From sit-in to violent chaos
The unrest erupted on April 13 (Monday) in Noida’s Phase 2 area, where a workers’ sit-in and demonstration against local grievances spiraled into violence. What began as a peaceful labour agitation turned ugly, with inflammatory acts disrupting public order and drawing sharp police response. Gautam Buddh Nagar Police registered a case at Phase 2 station, pinpointing Aditya Anand as the central figure in planning and executing the mayhem.
Protests involved leaders like Rupesh Roi, an autorickshaw driver from Bihar and Manisha Chauhan, also from Bihar, who were arrested. Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh highlighted external provocations, identifying two X handles operated from Pakistan that spread misleading information to fan the flames. The violence exposed vulnerabilities in managing labour protests amid social media’s amplifying role.
UP STF arrested the main accused, Aditya Anand alias Rasti, at Tiruchirappalli Railway Station in Tamil Nadu for his involvement in the violent Noida workers' protests earlier this week. The police are taking him on transit remand and are taking further action. During… pic.twitter.com/Z0wq2SwjwJ
— ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2026
Mastermind: Aditya Anand’s flight and police pursuit
Aditya Anand, a key conspirator, went absconding post-incident, prompting a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) from Gautam Buddh Nagar court. Under directions from Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh and supervision by Additional Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Dr Rajeev Narayan Mishra, joint Noida Police and UP STF teams launched raids across multiple states. Electronic surveillance and technical intel proved decisive, tracking the fugitive to Tamil Nadu.
Police officers described Aditya Anand’s role as pivotal- a BTech-educated strategist who fuelled the protest’s violent turn. His arrest at the bustling Tiruchirappalli station marks a triumph of persistent policing, with the Rs 1 lakh bounty underscoring his priority status.
Arrested on Saturday, Anand faces transit remand as police transport him back to Uttar Pradesh for further action. During initial questioning, he confessed to the conspiracy, solidifying evidence against him. Noida Police issued a statement confirming the operation’s success and ongoing legal proceedings.
This arrest disrupts the protest’s leadership, but investigations continue into accomplices and foreign-linked misinformation. It signals Uttar Pradesh authorities’ zero-tolerance for orchestrated unrest, potentially deterring similar agitations.