Demonstration Following Fatal Incident Involving Hotel’s GM and Police in Himachal
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Shimla, Jan 1 (NationPress) On Wednesday, inhabitants of the Dalhousie area in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh, conducted a sit-in protest following the death of a private hotel’s general manager, Rajendra Malhotra, which occurred on New Year’s Eve during a confrontation with several police officers.
Malhotra lost his life after he reportedly fell from a hill during an alleged altercation near the hotel’s parking lot in the tourist destination of Banikhet, stemming from an issue involving two police constables, who have since been taken into custody.
Both constables have been charged with assault leading to Malhotra's death.
Outraged by the incident, local residents obstructed traffic at the Banikhet bus stand and held a sit-in protest for over two hours, insisting on severe repercussions for the involved police officers.
Superintendent of Police Abhishek Yadav arrived at the scene and, after promising appropriate action, managed to calm the villagers, who subsequently ended the protest.
According to reports, Constable Anup had a dispute with hotel staff member Sachin. The hotel’s general manager Malhotra and a waiter intervened to de-escalate the situation. Following this, when they exited the hotel, Malhotra attempted to persuade the police to leave, but a scuffle ensued, resulting in Malhotra's fall from the cliff.
Hotel employee Sachin also sustained injuries during the incident.
Malhotra's brother reported that another individual was injured and had to be transported to a hospital in Pathankot, Punjab.
Witnesses claimed that three police officers had visited the hotel.
Those identified were Amit and Anup, with the third officer’s name withheld.
Some CCTV footage related to the event has emerged. The hotel owner informed the police that he was not present at the time but was alerted that three police officers arrived at the hotel in a small car.
