A day after two people were arrested on charges of assaulting and attempting to murder Colonel VPS Chauhan (retd), a court granted bail to Col Chauhan who was arrested by Noida Police after the wife of a senior officer of the district administration had leveled false charges of molestation against him.

Col Chauhan, 76, was arrested on August 14 on the charges of molestation levelled by the Additional District Magistrate (ADM)'s wife on the day following a spat between two sides over alleged illegal construction by the ADM's family.

The case was listed at District Court Surajpur for hearing bail petition for Col VPS Chauhan. Counsels of both sides put their case. Brigadier JS Garewal (Retd), Colonel Sashi Vaid (Retd) were present on behalf of Col Chauhan while the ADM was represented by his counsel. Judge Nalin Srivastava, the Additional Sessions Judge (III) of Gautam Budh Nagar courts, granted bail to Chauhan who was later released from the prison. Notably, Chauhan was also booked under provisions of SC/ST Act as he was accused of casting aspersions on the caste.

 It all started  when an argument had ensued between the ADM's family and Col Chauhan after he objected on some construction work being done near to his house in Sector 29, Noida by the ADM.

“It was illegal and not permitted by the Noida Authority. I had raised objection against it because it was also obstructing the passage, sunlight and air flow into my house,” Col Chauhan said in the complaint, adding that had irked the family. He claimed that the ADM had previously served in the Noida authority and used his influence to get his complaint overlooked.

“On the morning of August 14, I was sitting in the park waiting for my taxi to go to railway station from where he would go to Agra when the family arrived, they were accompanied by the ADM's gunners also. His wife started hurling abuses at me and soon all the men started punching me on the chest and kicked me.

“The woman soon called up the police who arrived at the spot and arrested me on false charges of molestation made by her and under the ADM's pressure,” Chauhan alleged in the complaint.

Col Chauhan was booked on charges under section 3 (1) of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for hurling caste-based abuses on the woman, according to police. 

On Saturday, the footage of the closed-circuit television camera installed in the park emerged in which it was purportedly seen that Chauhan was being assaulted by the seven people. District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh took note of the video and instructed police to file an FIR against the ADM and others involved in the matter.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Pal Sharma, “Seven persons have been booked including the ADM for attempt to murder and other relevant sections of assault. One person (a household help) has been arrested and we are currently interrogating him,” he said.

The SSP also ordered immediate suspension of a sub-inspector of  Sector 29 police post, holding him responsible for misbehavior by  policemen with the war veteran and their behavior was not upto the mark.