Himachal minister Anirudh Singh booked for alleged assault of NHAI official

A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh after a senior official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) alleged that he was physically assaulted during a site inspection. The incident took place in the Bhattakufar area of Shimla district on June 30 (Monday), in the aftermath of a five-storey building collapse.

 

The complaint, filed by Achal Jindal, who serves as Manager (Technical) at NHAI, claims the minister not only assaulted him but also subjected him to verbal abuse at the inspection site. The police have initiated an investigation into the matter following the registration of the case.

 

What happened?

 

According to the complaint, Jindal and site engineer Yogesh visited Shimla Rural Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Manjeet Sharma on Monday morning to assess the collapse of the five-storey building at Chamyana, according to a report by the Hindustan Times. However, finding the SDM absent from his office, Yogesh contacted him by phone and was directed to the collapse site in Bhattakufar, where the NHAI is carrying out four-laning work, the report added.

 

Upon reaching there, they also found Singh along with some locals. In his complaint, Jindal said that the contractor there told him that the building had been evacuated before the collapse. He further added that he explained to the minister that the collapsed structure was located 30 metres away from the national highway’s right of way (ROW). He stated that, according to the terms of the NHAI agreement, any damage occurring outside the ROW falls under the jurisdiction of the state government, according to Hindustan Times.

 

Jindal said that upon hearing this, the minister started abusing him. "I and my site engineer were taken to a room of a local where the minister assaulted us. He hurled a pitcher full of water on me," he said, adding that he got injured. He also said that they attacked Yogesh when he tried to save him. "The SDM and others did not help us,” Jindal said, as quoted by the Times of India.

 

Both Jindal and Yogesh managed to escape the scene and went to the IGMC Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.

 

According to Hindustan Times, the minister has been booked under Sections 132, 121(1), 352, 126(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).