Rajasthan SDM Slapping Controversy: Chhotu Lal Sharma, a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) posted in Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, has been suspended for allegedly slapping a CNG pump employee in Bhilwara. A video clip showing him assaulting the staff member went viral on social media, following which the Rajasthan government took action against him. The action came after Sharma and the CNG pump employee were caught on camera slapping each other.
The altercation stemmed from a dispute over refueling the SDM’s vehicle. The Department of Personnel issued an order suspending Sharma on Thursday night, citing administrative reasons. The order stated that during his suspension, Sharma will be attached to the Secretariat, Department of Personnel, in Jaipur.
Woman who filed complaint is not the SDM’s legal wife
The case took a new turn when it was revealed that the woman who filed the complaint against the petrol pump staff is not the SDM’s legal wife. She had identified herself as his wife in the complaint.
Petrol pump employees arrested
Earlier, three petrol pump employees, Deepak Mali, Prabhu Lal Kumawat, and Raja Sharma, were arrested in connection with the slapping incident in the Jaswantpura area of Bhilwara.
The altercation began when Chhotu Lal Sharma got into a heated argument with a petrol pump employee, who also sells CNG. The argument arose after a dispute over filling CNG in another car before the SDM’s vehicle.
Sharma objected to the employee filling CNG in the other car first, saying that his car should be filled first as he had arrived earlier. Another petrol pump employee intervened, but the officer slapped him. The employee then retaliated by slapping him back.
The entire incident was captured on the petrol pump’s CCTV cameras. A video of the altercation went viral on social media, sparking outrage and prompting many users to demand action against the government official.
In the viral video, Sharma can be heard saying, “I am the SDM, I am the SDM of this area. Don’t you know my car is parked here?”