Mandi postings turn dangerous for Himachal bureaucrats as another top officer gets death threat

Padhar SDM says caller threatens to eliminate him

MANDI: The Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh is witnessing a worrying trend as administrative officers are increasingly becoming targets of threats and attacks.

In a fresh incident, Padhar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Surjeet Singh has received death threats over the phone, just a couple of months after SDM-Sardar Om Kant Thakur was attacked by the mining mafia during a raid.

SDM lodges complaint at Padhar police station

According to a formal complaint filed at the Padhar police station, SDM Surjeet Singh alleged that he was threatened by a man who identified himself as Ajay Rana from Kotli.

Surjeet alleged that the caller initially spoke about giving a presentation at the upcoming Kisan Mela under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.

Despite being asked earlier to submit a formal application, the same person called up again on Friday morning from mobile number 70180-00045 and turned aggressive when the SDM declined to entertain his repeated calls, the complaint read.

Man turns aggressive after being told not to call repeatedly

In his complaint, the SDM said, “When I asked him not to call repeatedly and told him his application would be considered in due time, he became abusive and threatened me saying, ‘tujhe kya ho gaya SDM ban gaya to, itna bhi vyast ho gaya? Main aakar tujhe thok dunga’ (So what if you are an SDM, are you that busy? I will come and kill you).”

The SDM said Kehar Singh, former pradhan of Dalah panchayat, and retired Naib Tehsildar Buddhi Singh were present in his office and are witnesses to the threatening call.

SDM seeks police protection

The caller reportedly has a past record of participating in the Kisan Mela through the Black Panther Group and later attempted to contact the SDM again through another number (70184-59412), forcing the officer to block both numbers.

Expressing concern over his safety, Surjeet Singh has requested police protection and appropriate legal action against the individual, citing the incident as a direct obstruction to official government duties.

A Pattern of Rising Intimidation

This isn’t the first time an SDM in Mandi has faced such hostility. A couple of months ago, SDM-Sardar Om Kant Thakur, a 2020-batch IAS officer, was attacked during a surprise inspection of illegal mining activity near the Beas river in the Bindravani area.

Om Kant Thakur sustained facial injuries when a man named Hira Lal from Thunag physically assaulted him while he was confronting unauthorised mining operatives. Hira Lal was later arrested.
The back-to-back targeting of two SDMs signals a disturbing erosion of law and order in the district, where mafias and rogue elements appear to be acting with growing impunity.

Munish Sood