Chandigarh advocate seeks police permission to beat up neighbour over Rs 1 lakh damage to his new Thar SUV
Advocate Dharmendra Singh Rawat, a resident of Sector 44B, Chandigarh, claims his neighbour intentionally scratched his Mahindra Thar with a sharp object out of jealousy, causing damage worth more than Rs 1 lakh
PTC Web Desk: In an unusual incident, a Chandigarh-based advocate has sent an application to the police seeking permission to thrash his neighbour, alleging that the latter deliberately damaged his newly purchased Thar SUV. The application has not only been addressed to the local police but also sent to the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Home Secretary, the DGP, the SSP, and the Chairman of the Bar Council.
Advocate Dharmendra Singh Rawat, a resident of Sector 44B, Chandigarh, claims his neighbour intentionally scratched his Mahindra Thar (registration number CH 01 CY 2894) with a sharp object out of jealousy, causing damage worth more than Rs 1 lakh. Rawat stated that CCTV footage clearly shows the accused in action, and he has submitted this evidence along with his complaint to senior police officials, including the SSP and DGP. However, despite the evidence, no FIR has been registered so far.
Frustrated by police inaction, Rawat has cited Section 35(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, asserting that it grants every citizen the right to defend their body and property when law enforcement fails to act. He further stated that, under this provision, he would be legally justified in “publicly slapping or beating” the accused if the police continued to ignore his complaint.
Rawat also mentioned that before taking such an action, he would formally inform the police, higher authorities, and the media to ensure transparency and avoid any misunderstanding. “I will only exercise my legal right within the framework of the law,” he said.
The advocate accused the Chandigarh Police of violating the Supreme Court’s 2013 judgment in Lalita Kumari vs State of Uttar Pradesh, which mandates registration of an FIR in cases involving cognizable offences.
Meanwhile, officials at the Sector 34 police station have denied receiving any such complaint but have refrained from making any detailed comment on the issue.