An unusual case of police misconduct in Madhya Pradesh has turned into a political flashpoint. Constable Rahul Chauhan alleged that he was brutally assaulted by Reserve Inspector (RI) Saurabh Singh Kushwaha after the officer’s dog went missing on August 23. Summoned past midnight, Chauhan said he was beaten with slippers and a belt, insulted with casteist slurs, and left with multiple injuries, which he documented on video. The dog was found nearly a day later.
While Chauhan lodged a complaint and his wife threatened suicide if justice was denied, Kushwaha rejected the charges, claiming he was not in town that night. Instead, he alleged that Chauhan was drunk and had abandoned the dog. The matter escalated quickly as protests erupted, with tribal groups and the Congress demanding action under the SC/ST Act. Though Kushwaha was suspended, the agitation continued for 30 hours before being withdrawn on assurances of an impartial investigation.