ADM, wife and son are booked for assaulting Army veteran in Noida
NOIDA: The police have booked an additional district magistrate (ADM), his wife, son and four others for allegedly attempting to murder a 76-year-old Army veteran at a park in Noida sector 29 on the morning of August 14.
The seven have been booked under the Indian Penal Code for attempt to murder, intentional insult, criminal intimidation, criminal trespass and rioting with deadly weapon by the sector 20 police station for allegedly assaulting Virendra Pratap Singh Chauhan, a retired Army colonel from the elite 1 Parachute Regiment (Special Forces).
The police have also arrested one of the accused, Jitendra Awasthi Bachhan, identified as household help of the ADM, who is posted in western Uttar Pradesh.
The ADM is not being named as his wife had earlier filed a case of molestation against the army veteran, and the courts have laid down that women in such cases should not be identified. Naming him and his place of posting may lead to his wife being identified.
“Based on the complaint received from retired colonel and his family and the close circuit television footage, we have booked seven persons including the ADM for attempt to murder and other relevant sections of assault. One person has been arrested and we are currently interrogating him,” said Ajay Pal Sharma, senior superintendent of police, Gautam Budh Nagar.
On a complaint of misbehaviour by policemen, senior superintendent of police Ajay Pal Sharma suspended sub-inspector Ravi Tomar, the chowki-incharge of sector 29, on Saturday.
The development comes four days after the police booked and arrested the retired colonel, a resident of sector 29, for allegedly molesting the wife of the ADM and hurling caste-based expletives at her. Police also booked Chauhan under section 3 (1) of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for kidnapping and molestation.
After CCTV footage emerged of the Army veteran being pushed and kicked allegedly by the ADM, district magistrate BN Singh asked the police to file an FIR against the ADM for assault.
The colonel, a veteran of the 1965 and 1971 wars, has been languishing in Noida’s Luksar jail since August 14 and his bail application is scheduled to be heard on Monday. After the CCTV footage emerged, police dropped charges of kidnapping against the colonel.
On Saturday evening, dozens of Army veterans and the family of Chauhan took out a protest march in sector 29 demanding the immediate release of the colonel and arrest of the accused ADM.
“We want strict action against the ADM and other accused,” said Indu Chauhan, wife of Chauhan.
“Police have arrested Chauhan in an illegal and unjustified manner and we demand immediate release of our colleague Colonel Chauhan. Our man is languishing in jail while the accused ADM roams freely,” said colonel (retired) Shashi Vaid, a resident of sector 29.
According to a complaint filed by Indu Chauhan, the altercation between Chauhan and the ADM was over an alleged illegal construction by the latter.
“We have a house on the ground floor and three years ago, the ADM had purchased a house on the first floor. However, he started illegal construction of a guest house at the garage space to which we protested and complained to the Noida Authority. However, no action was taken in the matter. On the morning of August 14, I had to go to Agra and I was waiting for a cab at the park. Suddenly, the ADM, his wife and two gunners approached me and started hurling abuses. The ADM’S wife then called the police and the civil servant started thrashing and kicking me. They then levelled false allegations against me,” said Chauhan in his complaint to the police.
Neither the ADM nor his wife responded to calls and text messages by HT.