'Law works differently for different people': Ex-IAF officer reacts to Rajasthan SDM slapping row
I won't be surprised if he gets the Governor's medal for preserving the integrity of the civil services, writes former IAF officer
- Oct 23, 2025,
- Updated Oct 23, 2025 11:44 PM IST
A viral video showing a Rajasthan Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) slapping a petrol pump employee - and being slapped back - has triggered widespread criticism online, with retired Indian Air Force officer Ajay Ahlawat remarking that the "law works differently for different people."
"The law works differently for different people. I won't be surprised if he gets the Governor's medal for preserving the integrity of the civil services," Ahlawat wrote on X on Thursday.
His post came in response to comments by a former army major Pawan Kumar, who wrote: "If I was in power, I would have sent this arse SDM Chhotu Lal back home forever. Instead, he should be sitting in prison now for slapping a common man doing his job honestly. Wife of this bastard SDM should also be booked for conspiring against the petrol pump guys and for lodging a false FIR."
The controversy began in Bhilwara's Jaswantpura area, where SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma, posted in Pratapgarh, got into an altercation with petrol pump staff on Tuesday. According to police, the dispute started when Sharma objected to another car being refuelled before his.
The argument escalated when Sharma slapped one of the employees, prompting the worker to retaliate in kind. The entire exchange — captured on CCTV — went viral online, showing the officer yelling, "Main SDM hoon yahan ka...pehle tereko pata nahi gaadi lagi hui hai" (I am the SDM here; don’t you see my vehicle is parked here?) before slapping the attendant.
Following the incident, three petrol pump employees - Deepak Mali, Prabhu Lal Kumawat, and Raja Sharma - were arrested.
Soon after the backlash grew, a woman identified as Deepika Vyas, claiming to be the SDM's wife, filed a complaint alleging that the staff had made inappropriate remarks and gestures toward her, provoking the confrontation.
However, social media users pointed out that the CCTV footage contradicted her claims, showing the SDM initiating the altercation.
A viral video showing a Rajasthan Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) slapping a petrol pump employee - and being slapped back - has triggered widespread criticism online, with retired Indian Air Force officer Ajay Ahlawat remarking that the "law works differently for different people."
"The law works differently for different people. I won't be surprised if he gets the Governor's medal for preserving the integrity of the civil services," Ahlawat wrote on X on Thursday.
His post came in response to comments by a former army major Pawan Kumar, who wrote: "If I was in power, I would have sent this arse SDM Chhotu Lal back home forever. Instead, he should be sitting in prison now for slapping a common man doing his job honestly. Wife of this bastard SDM should also be booked for conspiring against the petrol pump guys and for lodging a false FIR."
The controversy began in Bhilwara's Jaswantpura area, where SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma, posted in Pratapgarh, got into an altercation with petrol pump staff on Tuesday. According to police, the dispute started when Sharma objected to another car being refuelled before his.
The argument escalated when Sharma slapped one of the employees, prompting the worker to retaliate in kind. The entire exchange — captured on CCTV — went viral online, showing the officer yelling, "Main SDM hoon yahan ka...pehle tereko pata nahi gaadi lagi hui hai" (I am the SDM here; don’t you see my vehicle is parked here?) before slapping the attendant.
Following the incident, three petrol pump employees - Deepak Mali, Prabhu Lal Kumawat, and Raja Sharma - were arrested.
Soon after the backlash grew, a woman identified as Deepika Vyas, claiming to be the SDM's wife, filed a complaint alleging that the staff had made inappropriate remarks and gestures toward her, provoking the confrontation.
However, social media users pointed out that the CCTV footage contradicted her claims, showing the SDM initiating the altercation.