Shimla, July 1 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Police on Tuesday registered a case against state Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh Rana and six others on charges of assaulting a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official, raising a political storm with the opposition BJP seeking his removal from the Cabinet.

The alleged assault took place after the collapse of a vacant five-story residential building that was close to the under-construction national highway.

The complainant, Achal Jindal, Manager (Technical), NHAI, Shimla, has sustained head injuries and is currently hospitalised.

In his complaint, Jindal said the minister sought information about the building collapse from him, which he provided. However, he said the minister used abusive language against him and then called him and his colleague inside a room where they were beaten up.

He said he was hit with a flower pot on his head, which resulted in severe bleeding. As per the FIR, no one from the administration came to his rescue, and he and his colleague drove to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) for treatment.

In the wake of the incident, the NHAI Engineers Association (NEA) has demanded action against the accused, including the minister.

“Officer safety is non-negotiable. We stand united,” it said.

Calling the incident shameful and condemnable, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said two NHAI officials were called to the spot in the presence of the minister, police and administration officials and were then beaten up in a closed room.

He has alleged that the officials were assaulted in the presence of a minister at Bhattakuffer, where a building had collapsed.

BJP leader Thakur said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu should take action against the minister and dismiss him from the Cabinet. “This type of anarchy will not be tolerated in the state under any circumstances,” he said in a statement.

He alleged that the most shameful part of the assault was that it happened in front of a senior administrative officer and police personnel, and the victims were not even taken to the hospital.

“The attack on the NHAI officers is an example of declining law and order in the state,” he added.

In his complaint, Jindal said, ‘The minister took us to a nearby room and beat me with a water pitcher, causing head injuries. When Yogesh intervened, he was also assaulted. Despite SDM and police presence, no one helped us.”

Locals blamed the collapse of the building on the excavation and rock-cutting undertaken for a four-lane highway project by the NHAI. However, the NHAI maintains that the building that fell was located outside the project boundary.

A horrific video shows the building collapsing after heavy rain. However, no loss of life was reported as the building had been evacuated after cracks had developed on the structure.

–IANS

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