This story is from February 24, 2015

BJP MLA’s bodyguard assaults auto drivers with firearm butt

Umesh Choubey, bodyguard of BJP MLA from Chimur Bunty Bhangdiya, allegedly assaulted three autorickshaw drivers with the butt of his personal firearm during a scuffle outside the railway station, here, on Monday.
BJP MLA’s bodyguard assaults auto drivers with firearm butt
NAGPUR: Umesh Choubey, bodyguard of BJP MLA from Chimur Bunty Bhangdiya, allegedly assaulted three autorickshaw drivers with the butt of his personal firearm during a scuffle outside the railway station, here, on Monday. The former central reserve police force (CRPF) personnel also threatened to open fire but police ignored the gravity under political pressure.
Sitabuldi police showed unexplained leniency towards Choubey by registering an offence of assault against him despite the armed former paramilitary cop also issuing threats to the community of auto drivers.
The auto drivers were also booked for assaulting Choubey. Sitabuldi police also delayed action for several hours for reasons best known to them. It’s learnt that Choubey, who retired around four years ago, was with wife and brother.
The initial decision of Sitabuldi police to register non-cognizable offences against both Choubey and three autorickshaw drivers was changed after union leaders like NCP’s city President Ajay Patil and his wife corporator Pragati intervened. Pragati also visited the police station. Auto-rickshaw union leaders have now threatened to launch a stir against police for giving long rope to Choubey.
The incident triggered following an altercation over Rs50 fare from railway station to Sitabuldi. The incident took place after Bhangdiya left for Mumbai, said a source.
It’s learnt that Choubey had approached one of the autorickshaw drivers, Mohd Tawheed, to go to Sitabuldi. He had negotiated the fare to Rs50. However, another auto driver Sheikh Javed offered to take Choubey for Rs40. Choubey felt the drivers were mocking him.
An enraged Choubey assaulted Javed which triggered a fisticuff. Choubey was outnumbered by other autorickshaw drivers. Sensing trouble, Choubey pulled out his licensed firearm and used the butt to assault the drivers. Apart from Javed and Tawheed, another elderly autorickshaw driver Imdad Hussain too was injured when Choubey targeted their heads with the butt.

Choubey claimed before police that he did not take out the firearm but it had slipped out after the autorickshaw drivers started assaulting him.
Tawheed claimed that Choubey was constantly threatening to wipe out their community in the name Hindu radical organizations. “We felt he was targeting the community, not individuals. He was also threatening to shoot us,” he said.
Tauheed also stated that Choubey had another accomplice who fled the spot. He too possessed a firearm.
DCP (Zone-I), Nirmala Devi S stated that police are now trying to find some neutral observers as witnesses to the incident.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA