In connection with a three-year-old case of obstructing a public servant in the discharge of official duties, the Jaipur police detained former Rajasthan University student union president Nirmal Chaudhary from an examination center on Saturday.
Policemen in plain clothes arrived at the university campus to detain the student leader, who had recently participated in an agitation against the government and allegedly misbehaved with a police officer during the protest. The police took him out of the examination room and made him sit in a police van.
Congress MLA Abhimanyu Poonia, who was also present to appear for the same exam, accompanied him.
Nirmal Chaudhary alleged that since morning, Jaipur police officers in plain clothes had been following him. As soon as he arrived at the exam center, they forcibly took him into custody. He also accused the police of detaining Congress MLA Abhimanyu Poonia.
DCP East Tejaswini Gautam stated that the police action was related to a 2022 case in which Nirmal Chaudhary and his followers allegedly misbehaved with police officers and obstructed government functioning by damaging public property. The crime had been proven against Chaudhary, and hence, he was arrested. However, the DCP clarified that Chaudhary was taken into custody only after he exited the exam center.
Regarding the allegation of detaining Congress MLA Abhimanyu Poonia, the DCP clarified that the MLA voluntarily sat in the police vehicle with Chaudhary and was not taken into custody.
The police action sparked a political uproar, with the Congress strongly condemning the move. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Leader of Opposition Tikaram Julie, State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra, and former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot accused the state government of misusing agencies to target those who dare to oppose it.
Ashok Gehlot posted on X that the detention of Youth Congress State President and MLA Abhimanyu Poonia and Nirmal Chaudhary is unjust and a violation of democratic principles.
