UDAIPUR, July 29: An elderly man died following an alleged assault over a dispute related to a house setback in Udaipur’s Pratap Nagar area, triggering protests by family members who also questioned the initial police response to the case.
According to the complaint, the incident involved a former Mohanlal Sukhadia University students’ union vice-president, an advocate, and a former BJP rebel candidate from the Mavli Assembly constituency.
Dispute Over Boundary Wall Turns Violent
Police said the dispute was related to the construction of a wall behind the residence of Sagarmal Mehta (64), a resident of Ostwal Nagar. The wall issue was reportedly under judicial consideration.
A court had appointed advocate Satish Shrimali as a court commissioner to inspect the site and submit a report. On Tuesday, the commissioner visited the location for inspection.
According to the complaint, after the commissioner left, Praveen Singh Rao, along with his cousin Anurag Rao and another person, allegedly assaulted Sagarmal Mehta and his son, Rahul Mehta. During the assault, Sagarmal reportedly fell to the ground and was allegedly beaten further.
Both father and son were taken to M.B. Hospital, where Sagarmal later succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Protest at Mortuary Over FIR
Following the death, the victim’s family and members of the community gathered outside the mortuary and protested, alleging that police had initially not registered a murder case.
The protesters also raised questions over the role of Pratap Nagar SHO Ajay Singh Rao, alleging that he initially treated the matter as culpable homicide rather than murder, leading to public outrage and slogans against the police and administration.
Murder Case Registered
As the protest intensified, Deputy Superintendent of Police Chhavi Sharma reached the spot and held discussions with the aggrieved family members.
Following a complaint submitted by the deceased’s son, Rahul Mehta, police registered a case of murder against Praveen Singh and his associates.
Police said the post-mortem examination of the deceased will be conducted on Wednesday, and further investigation into the case is underway.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.