Shimla, July 1 (PTI): Himachal Pradesh Minister Anirudh Singh has been booked for wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt following allegations of assaulting two NHAI officials during an inspection of a building collapse site, officials reported. The FIR against the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister was lodged upon a complaint by Achal Jindal, an NHAI employee and manager of the four-lane project in Shimla, who claimed that he and site engineer Yogesh were summoned by Singh to a room and beaten. The minister was unavailable for comment.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari condemned the "heinous assault". Police stated the FIR against Singh has been filed at Dhalli police station under sections 132 (criminal force to deter public servant while performing his duty), 121 (1) (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult), 126 (2) (wrongful restraint) and 3 (5) (criminal act committed by several persons) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
In a Facebook post, Gadkari said, "The heinous assault on Achal Jindal, manager NHAI PIU Shimla, allegedly by minister of Panchayati Raj, Himachal Pradesh, and his associates is deeply reprehensible and an affront to the rule of law. Such a brutal attack on a public servant performing his official duties not only endangers individual safety but also erodes institutional integrity. I have taken serious cognizance of the matter and spoken with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, urging immediate and exemplary action against all perpetrators," he stated.
Gadkari emphasized that accountability should be ensured and justice delivered without delay. On Monday morning, a five-storey building collapsed in Mathu colony, Bhattakufar, on the road to Chamiyana Super Speciality Hospital, without causing casualties. Bhattakufar falls under Singh's Kasumpti constituency.
Building owner Ranjana Verma accused the four-laning work of endangering the building's safety, claiming no measures were taken for its protection. According to the FIR, Singh, accompanied by his supporters, arrived at the collapse site on Monday and summoned NHAI officers. Jindal and site engineer Yogesh reported to the minister about the structure collapsing 30 meters from the National Highway right of way (ROW), noting that, under the official agreement, damages outside NH-ROW fall under the Himachal Pradesh government's jurisdiction, the FIR noted.
Singh then allegedly resorted to using intemperate language. "The minister called me and my site engineer Yogesh into a room and physically assaulted me in front of local residents. He even struck me on the head with a water-filled vessel, causing bleeding," Jindal claimed.
Jindal further alleged that when Yogesh attempted to intervene, the accused also beat him, leaving both with "serious injuries". The pair is receiving treatment at Indira Gandhi Medical College.
NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav earlier wrote to Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, demanding a detailed inquiry into the incident and action against those found guilty. "The NHAI is implementing projects worth Rs 23,729 crore in Himachal, and failure to act according to the law will demoralize NHAI officers," he stated.
The opposition BJP leaders condemned the occurrence and demanded Singh's dismissal. Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, also called for Singh's removal by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur remarked that, while the mysterious death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited chief engineer Vimal Negi is under investigation, a new case involving a minister assaulting an official has emerged, which is unfortunate.
The Congress government has yet to respond to the issue.
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