Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer Chhotu Lal Sharma has been suspended, and three petrol pump employees arrested in Bhilwara following a slapping incident on Tuesday at a CNG-petrol station in Pratapgarh. The dispute reportedly erupted over service priority, with Sharma allegedly slapping a petrol pump worker. According to police, Sharma objected to a staffer filling another car before his own, resulting in an altercation during which both parties reportedly exchanged blows.
Sharma’s wife, Deepika Vyas, however presented a different account to ANI, claiming the petrol pump staffers had made “inappropriate gestures” at her. She alleged that the incident had been portrayed with an “absolutely different angle,” putting her “dignity at stake.” She said, “On Diwali, when we had left for our village, we stopped for CNG at a fuelling station. The workers there made inappropriate gestures at me and then proceeded to fuel the car behind ours. I told my husband about it. He got angry, after which there was an altercation between him and the petrol pump workers.”
#WATCH | Bhilwara, Rajasthan | Deepika Vyas, wife of SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma, reportedly involved in a clash at a CNG pump, says, “On Diwali, when we had left for our village, we stopped for CNG at a fuelling station. The workers there made inappropriate gestures at me and then… https://t.co/aBxXinYonR pic.twitter.com/Z8agQC2LTu
— ANI (@ANI) October 24, 2025
But the police stated that CCTV footage does not support her allegations, and the investigation is ongoing.
According to police, the CCTV footage clearly shows Sharma slapping the staffer, contradicting some claims made by the officer and his wife. The authorities are examining the video closely to determine the sequence of events.
Sharma, who was posted in Pratapgarh, defended his actions, saying he went to the petrol pump with his wife to refuel their car when an attendant “broke the rules” and began refueling another vehicle first. He added, “The attendant even made inappropriate gestures at my wife… He assaulted me as well.”
The Pratapgarh police continue to probe the matter, collecting statements from witnesses and reviewing footage, while the RAS department has suspended Sharma pending the outcome of the inquiry.
