The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested Shrikant Tyagi, who claims to be a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, days after he verbally abused and assaulted a woman at a residential complex in Noida, ANI reported. He was sent to 14-day judicial custody by an Uttar Pradesh court.

Tyagi, who had been on the run since a video of the assault went viral on social media, was held in Meerut along with three of his associates, the police said. Earlier on Tuesday, the police had detained Tyagi’s wife for questioning, according to PTI.

On August 5, Tyagi was booked under Section 354 (assault or use of criminal force on any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code.

Several videos on social media showed him verbally abusing the woman last week as she tried to stop him from planting trees in the society’s common area, citing violation of rules. Tyagi could be seen pushing the woman and shouting at the woman’s husband too.

Tyagi identifies himself as a national executive member of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha and national co-ordinator of the Yuva Kisan Samiti of the ruling party, according to PTI. However, the BJP has denied having any links with him

On Monday, authorities used bulldozers to demolish allegedly illegal portions of a ground floor apartment in Noida that belongs to Tyagi. This was after Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma said in front of television cameras that he was “ashamed that this is our government”.

Sharma made the comment while speaking about supporters of Tyagi who entered the housing society and shouted slogans in his favour.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Tyagi had filed a plea in a court in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district offering to surrender. He filed the petition after the Noida Police declared him as “absconding” and announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for those who give leads on his whereabouts, PTI reported.

The matter has been listed for hearing on August 10.