Dehradun: In a significant ruling, a CBI court in Dehradun has convicted BJP MLA Adesh Chauhan in connection with a 2009 illegal detention case, sentencing him to six months of imprisonment.
The judgment also holds his niece Deepika Singh and two police officers accountable, marking an important legal development in Uttarakhand’s political sphere.
CBI court verdict and case background
The conviction stems from an incident in 2009, when Dheer Singh Chauhan, the father-in-law of Deepika Singh, was allegedly detained for 36 hours and pressured into facing a false dowry case. According to legal arguments, Adesh Chauhan and Deepika Singh allegedly forced him to transfer Rs 5 lakh, his agricultural land, and his house in Roorkee.
Dheer Singh accused them of fabricating false evidence, alleging that they used a pin to scratch his wrists before sending Deepika for a medical examination to falsely implicate him. Importantly, no GD entry regarding her medical report was recorded at Gangnahar Police Station, raising suspicions over the legitimacy of the complaint.
CBI investigation and legal proceedings
In 2019, after filing a writ petition at the Uttarakhand High Court, Dheer Singh Chauhan secured a directive for a CBI investigation into his alleged custodial mistreatment. Subsequently, in October 2019, the CBI registered an FIR against multiple police officials, including inspector R K Chamoli and sub-Inspectors Dinesh Kumar and R S Rautela, constable Sanjay Ram. The court framed charges against Adesh Chauhan and Deepika Singh in 2022, intensifying the legal scrutiny around the case.
Sentencing and political fallout
While Adesh Chauhan received a six-month sentence, he was granted bail, preventing him from serving jail time. His legal representatives clarified that since his sentence does not exceed three years, he remains eligible for bail under procedural law. Chauhan, who has been a legislator since 2012, now faces political pressure following the conviction. Congress senior leader Suryakant Dhasmana questioned whether the BJP would take disciplinary action, emphasizing that the party must uphold its principles of clean politics.
Previous disputes
The case saw further twists as Deepika Singh and the victim’s son later divorced, leading to the dowry case against Dheer Singh and his family being dismissed in 2011. The conviction has sparked discussions about accountability in governance. With the BJP yet to issue a formal statement, observers are keen to see whether internal disciplinary actions will follow, shaping future political discourse in Uttarakhand.
