A video, which shows a senior Madhya Pradesh IPS officer brutally thrashing his wife, has gone viral on social media. The incident reportedly took place after Purushottam Sharma's wife found out about his alleged extra-marital affair.
In the video, the officer is seen arguing with his wife; moments later, he grabs her, pins her to the floor and thrashes her. The officer, who is posted in Bhopal, described it as a family feud.
The incident happened in the presence of the officer’s personal staff and pet dog. The staff is seen trying to intervene and so is the pet Golden Retriever, which is barking furiously.
At one point, after pulling his wife by the hair and beating her mercilessly, the officer is heard yelling that his wife has injured him with a knife. However, the wife is heard saying that she hurt him with scissors in self-defence.
Purushottam Sharma's son Parth, a deputy commissioner in the Income Tax Department, sent the video to Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra and some senior bureaucrats, and requested that a complaint be registered against his father.
Hours after the incident, the Madhya Pradesh government took cognisance of the matter and removed Sharma from his position in the Public Prosecutors Directorate.
Meanwhile, the Sharma’s wife has reportedly moved the MP State Women’s Commission seeking action against her husband. She has also demanded police protection citing threat to her life.
Reacting to the incident, the 1986 batch IPS officer said he hasn’t committed any crime. "I have not committed any crime. This is a family matter. I will resolve it myself,” he said and asked, “If she is angry with me then why does she stay with me? Why use my money? Why travel abroad with my money?’’
He added, “Only my wife and son can tell why they made the video go viral. My wife has installed CCTV cameras in the house, she follows me where ever I go. I am myself in distress. She had lodged a complaint against me in 2008. If she is so troubled, why is she living with me?”
