Lucknow, Aug 9 (IANS): Self-claimed BJP leader Shrikant Tyagi, who was arrested earlier on Tuesday for assaulting a Noida woman, has got a vehicle pass meant for MLAs on one of his vehicles.

Noida Police Commissioner Alok Singh said Tyagi has an 'MLA' sticker on one of his vehicles and he said that this was given to him by his 'old political colleague' Swami Prasad Maurya.

"We are verifying this information. His driver had painted the Uttar Pradesh government emblem on the car number plate. Probe underway under Gangster Act," Singh said.

BJP sources said that Tyagi was a close friend of Utkrisht Maurya, son of former minister Swami Prasad Maurya.

"A high-level inquiry is going on regarding the gunners provided to Tyagi by Ghaziabad Police," Noida Police Commissioner Alok Singh said.

Maurya, who joined the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Assembly election in the state, was a minister in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet before putting in his papers.

Sources said that Tyagi used his proximity with Maurya to get favours and bully over officials.

Additional director general of Uttar Pradesh Police (law and order) Prashant Kumar had earlier said Tyagi had not received any police protection since February 2020 amid a raging controversy over the issue.

Tyagi has claimed to be the national executive member of the BJP's Kisan Morcha and the national co-coordinator of its Yuva Samiti. However, the ruling party has denied any links with him.

The Opposition has shared purported pictures of Tyagi with senior saffron party leaders.