Meerut: BJP councillor Munish Chaudhary, accused of assaulting a sub-inspector, was granted bail on Friday. This comes days after the “watertight” case against the councillor was diluted after police dropped dacoity charges from the FIR followed by a case of attempt to murder against sub-inspector Sukhram Singh and his lawyer friend, Deepti Chaudhary.The investigators had already flagged that the case against the councillor had been diluted after IPC section 395 (dacoity) was dropped and another non-bailable charge under section 354 ( assault or criminal force on woman to outrage her modestly) slapped by lawyer Dipti Chaudhary had come under serious scrutiny after a second video of the incident showed councillor Chaudhary pushing aside Dipti.“Lawyer Dipti Chaudhury and SI Sukhram, well versed with law, leveled baseless allegations to slap fake charges against the councillor. Apart from the contradicting statements of the lawyer-cop duo, which led to dropping of dacoity charges by the local investigator, it was argued that section 395 does not hold good going by the evidence at hand,” Amit Kumar Dixit, BJP councillor Chaudhary's lawyer, told TOI.The case took a 360 degree turn after the local police, which aggressively pursued the case in favour of its own man, was sent on the backfoot and had to lodge a case of attempt to murder against SI Sukhram and lawyer Dipti Chaudhury.Several senior BJP leaders intervened in favour of party councillor Chaudhary, claiming that the latter was subjected to a witch-hunt by police who were trying to frame the latter on frivolous grounds.“During the bail hearing it was also argued that IPC section 332 (voluntarily hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharge of duties) slapped by SI Sukhpal was overstretched, beyond its ambit in the FIR to frame the councillor as it holds good only when the person who is involved with any ongoing investigation is trying to forcefully obstruct a government official on duty,” said lawyer Dipti Chaudhury.SI Sukhpal, in-charge of Mohiuddinpur police outpost and now attached to police lines, had accompanied lawyer friend Deepti Chaudhury to a local restaurant owned by Munish Chaudhary on the evening of October 19. Things turned ugly when the two got into an argument with restaurant staff over delayed service. In a video, which was uploaded online, Chaudhary can be seen assaulting Sukhpal, who falls to the ground.Following the incident, an FIR against Chaudhary, based on separate complaints of SI Sukhpal and lawyer Deepti Chaudhury, was lodged under IPC’s sections 395 (dacoity), 342 (wrongful confinement), 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharge of his duties) at Kankerkhera police station.

Stay updated with all the Meerut Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.