Bhilwara- A explosive CCTV clip of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Chhotu Lal Sharma slapping a CNG pump attendant has ignited a firestorm on social media, with users across platforms condemning the Rajasthan bureaucrat's alleged misuse of authority. The video, which surfaced hours after the October 22 incident at a Bhilwara fuel station, has racked up lakhs of views, amplifying calls for justice and scrutiny over the SDM's wife Deepika Sharma's subsequent molestation complaint – widely viewed online as a convenient shield against accountability.

The footage has transformed a routine refueling dispute into a national flashpoint, highlighting simmering frustrations with "VIP culture" and selective law enforcement. Netizens, including activists and everyday users, are rallying under hashtags like #JusticeForPumpWorkers and #SuspendSDMBhilwara, decrying the arrests of three low-wage attendants while the officer faces no charges.

Rajasthan opposition leader Tika Ram Jully urged Bhilwara SP to personally oversee the investigation to prevent any miscarriage of justice. Taking to X, Jully highlighted the need for impartial handling, emphasizing that the poor should not suffer due to bureaucratic arrogance. His post read:

"After reviewing the CCTV footage and media reports that have surfaced in the dispute between the SDM and petrol pump employees in Bhilwara, this case also appears to involve misconduct by the SDM towards the petrol pump workers; however, in this matter, an FIR has also been filed by the SDM against the petrol pump employees, and the police have arrested them as well. The Bhilwara Superintendent of Police should personally monitor this case to ensure justice is served, lest injustice be done to the poor due to the arrogance of power."

The altercation erupted around 3:44 PM at the Jaswantpura CNG station on the Ajmer-Bhilwara Highway. SDM Sharma, a Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer posted in Shahpura subdivision, arrived in his official vehicle with his wife and passengers for a fill-up. Another car had just pulled in ahead, and attendant Deepak Mali began servicing it.

Exiting his vehicle, Sharma demanded immediate attention, declaring, "Main yahan ka SDM hoon! Meri gaadi pehle aayi thi" (I am the SDM here! My car came first). The viral CCTV clip, shared widely on Instagram and X, captures Sharma grabbing Mali by the collar, shoving him, and delivering a slap. In self-defense, Mali slapped back, prompting two colleagues – Prabhu Lal Kumawat and Raja Sharma – to intervene, resulting in a chaotic two-minute brawl.

Deepika Sharma, visible in the video yelling expletives at the workers, later escalated the situation by joining the verbal tirade. Bystanders' phone recordings corroborated the CCTV, showing no prior provocation from the attendants before Sharma's physical advance.

Molestation Complaint Emerges: Seen as 'Excuse' to Deflect Blame

As the video exploded online late Tuesday, Deepika Sharma filed a police complaint accusing Deepak Mali of winking at her and making the lewd remark, "Kya maal lag rahi ho" (What a hot stuff you look like). She claimed this "misbehavior" triggered her husband's intervention. Raila Police Station SHO Bachhraj Choudhary confirmed that three workers at the Jaswantpura petro pump, Deepak Mali, Prabhu Lal Kumawat and Raja Sharma, were arrested in connection with the incident. Despite reviewing the CCTV, no action has been initiated against the SDM, prompting howls of "partiality" from online communities.

Social media erupted in disbelief, with users labeling the allegation a "fabricated excuse" timed perfectly to counter the incriminating footage. "The video shows the SDM slapping first – now this 'molestation' story to play the victim card? Classic Brahmastra by the powerful," tweeted one influencer, whose post garnered over 10,000 likes. Another viral comment read: "If harassment laws are weapons for the elite, how will real victims get justice? Shame on this toxic cadre."

The complaint's lodging – mere hours after the clip went viral – has fueled suspicions of orchestration. It is worth noting that the CCTV footage from the incident shows no evidence supporting the allegation. Legal analysts on platforms like X noted the absence of evidence, suggesting it was a reactive bid to "escape legal complexity."

Amid the viral uproar, subsequent social media posts have exposed explosive details about the SDM's personal life, intensifying calls for accountability. Revelations claim Sharma married college lecturer Poonam Jhakhodiya in 2008, who supported him through job loss, only for him to desert her and their two children upon becoming an SDM, reportedly locking his house and fleeing whenever she visited his postings with the kids. In the present CNG row incident, the accompanying woman, Deepika Vyas, filed the molestation complaint while claiming to be his wife, sparking widespread online questions about his marital status and further branding the case as a web of deception.