Himachal Minister Anirudh Singh Booked for Assaulting NHAI Officials; Gadkari Calls It “Heinous Attack”
Himachal Pradesh’s Minister of Panchayati Raj, Anirudh Singh, has been booked for allegedly assaulting two National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials, including manager Achal Jindal and site engineer Yogesh, during an inspection related to a building collapse in Shimla. The incident has sparked political outrage and demands for accountability from the highest levels.
🔴 Minister Faces Multiple Charges
An FIR was registered against Singh on Tuesday under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
- Section 132: Criminal force to deter public servant
- Section 121(1): Voluntarily causing hurt
- Section 352: Intentional insult
- Section 126(2): Wrongful restraint
- Section 3(5): Criminal act by several persons
Police stated that the minister allegedly called the officials into a room and physically assaulted them, even hitting Jindal in the head with a vessel full of water, causing bleeding.
“The minister called me and my site engineer Yogesh to a room and physically assaulted me in front of the local residents. He even hit me in the head with a vessel,” Jindal stated in his complaint.
🛑 Union Minister Gadkari Condemns Attack
The heinous assault on Shri Achal Jindal, Manager, NHAI PIU Shimla, allegedly by the Minister of Panchayati Raj, Himachal Pradesh, and his associates, is deeply reprehensible and an affront to the rule of law. Such a brutal attack on a public servant performing his official…
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) July 1, 2025
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari strongly condemned the incident, calling it a “heinous assault” and “an affront to the rule of law”.
“Such a brutal attack on a public servant performing his duties endangers individual safety and erodes institutional integrity,” Gadkari wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“Accountability must prevail, and justice must be delivered without delay,” he added, confirming that he had spoken to Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to demand immediate action.
🔍 Incident Linked to Building Collapse in Minister’s Constituency
The alleged assault occurred following the collapse of a five-storey building in the Mathu colony in Bhattakufar, under Anirudh Singh’s Kasumpti constituency, on Monday. The minister had confronted NHAI officials on-site, blaming their roadwork for the collapse.
The officials informed Singh that the collapse happened 30 meters outside the National Highway’s Right of Way (ROW), placing it under the state’s jurisdiction, not NHAI’s.
🧾 Political Fallout and Allegations of Hooliganism
A govt official from NHAI, Achal Jindal, was shamelessly attacked by Congress Minister Anirudh Singh; a man known more for hooliganism & a close aide of Priyanka Gandhi.
— Vishnu Vardhan Reddy (@SVishnuReddy) July 1, 2025
This is not just an attack on one officer; it's an attack on law, order, and democracy itself.
Congress… pic.twitter.com/XodgtLqI9x
BJP leader Vishnu Vardhan Reddy slammed Singh, calling him a “known hooligan” and sharing a photo of him with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, claiming he is “protected by the party”.
“Congress talks of ‘Mohabbat’, but protects goons, promotes violence, and punishes honesty. The truth is clear: Congress has become a safe haven for criminals in power,” Reddy posted on X.
📩 NHAI Chairman Demands Inquiry
NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav wrote to Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, urging a detailed inquiry into the assault.
“NHAI is executing projects worth ₹23,729 crore in Himachal Pradesh. Morale of officers will suffer if legal action is not taken,” Yadav warned.
This high-profile incident has now become a flashpoint in the state’s political and administrative circles, with pressure mounting on the Himachal Pradesh government to ensure swift justice and protection of public servants.