Ghaziabad: Were only following rules, doing our job, say guards

Hours after the episode, CCTV footage from the housing society was made public following information that the convoy belonged to Union Culture Minister and Gautam Buddha Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma.

He was visiting a relative in Ashiana Greens on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, residents said. Ajay Yadav (28), hailing from Etawah in UP, has been working as a security supervisor at Ashiana Greens for the last three years.
“Every now and then, we face the ire of visitors when they are asked questions about their visit and identity. Yesterday, too, we were just doing our jobs. We were following protocol,” Yadav said.

The guards claimed the convoy comprised five cars. “While three of them had blue beacons, one had a red beacon. Mahesh Sharma was in the first car, which did not have a beacon,” said Abhay Pratap Singh. A native of Pratapgarh in UP, Singh said he has been working at the society since 2011.

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“At the gate, Mahesh Sharma rolled down his car window and told us that he has to go to flat no. 74 on the ground floor and that he is a minister. In the meantime, we were calling the flat that he was visiting via intercom. While we waited for a someone to answer, his car entered the society. From another car, a bodyguard accompanying the minister stepped out. He pushed us and beat us up. It was a small issue. Later, all cars went inside,” said Yadav.
While Yadav and Singh manned the gates of Ashiana Greens on Friday, Chandan (30) — the third guard who was beaten up — did not show up for work. “He will probably come tomorrow. Mahesh Sharma and his security personnel apologised to all guards when a hue and cry was raised by the residents. He said police will take action… Every visitor has to have an entry or gate pass… We have to perform our duty as a security guard,” Singh said.

On Friday afternoon, a group of residents assembled near gate no. 1. “The person who was stopped did not have an issue. As the first car went inside, the other cars following him told the guards to remove the barrier and drove past. When another person tried to stop him, he was roughed up too,” said Ritik, a resident.