- Family Accuses Neighbor and Associates of Harassment, Assault, and AttempteMurder
- Beating of Minor Niece and Attempt to Run Over Husband: Sonia Sharma
- Despite Complaints to Police, No Action Taken; Appeal for Justice to Punjab CM
Demokratic Front, Chandigarh – 13 March :
Prince Sharma, Naresh Kumari, and Sonia Sharma, residents of Mandi Gobindgarh, held a press conference at the Press Club in Chandigarh, urging action against Fatehgarh Sahib residents Deepak Malhotra and Azad Kaushal. The family accused the duo of vandalizing their property, threatening them, and engaging in violent behavior.
Sonia Sharma provided details of the ongoing harassment. She explained that she had purchased a plot in Mandi Gobindgarh to build a house and had begun construction on it. However, Deepak Malhotra, who resides across from her plot, began pressuring her to sell it. When she refused, he tried to illegally occupy the land by placing construction materials there.
After filing a complaint at the local police station, Malhotra removed the materials. However, when construction resumed on the plot, Deepak Malhotra, along with Azad Kaushal and 10-15 armed associates, destroyed the work and threatened the family while drinking alcohol in front of the property. CCTV footage of the incident was provided to the police, and an FIR (No. 32) was filed on February 16, 2025, against Azad Kaushal and Sukhpreet Singh. Despite this, no action was taken against the primary accused, Deepak Malhotra.
Sonia Sharma stated that since February 16, both Malhotra and Kaushal have continued to harass the family, issuing threats of severe consequences. They have filed complaints with the local police station, DSP Amloh, SSP Fatehgarh Sahib, and even submitted multiple complaints via the Punjab DGP portal on February 27 and March 1. These complaints were forwarded to DSP Fatehgarh Sahib and DSP Amloh, but were marked as “resolved” without any action.
Despite their efforts, the harassment persists, with the accused openly consuming alcohol in front of the family’s home. Complaints to the Excise and Taxation Department and the Punjab State Women’s Commission also yielded no results.
Sonia Sharma recounted a recent incident in which Azad Kaushal attempted to run over her husband with a car, an event captured on CCTV. However, no legal action has been taken in response. Additionally, on March 11, 2025, while Sonia was on her plot with her 15-year-old niece, Anushka Sharma, Deepak Malhotra verbally abused, threatened, and physically assaulted the minor. Anushka suffered serious injuries and is currently hospitalized at Khanna Civil Hospital. Despite numerous complaints, the accused remain at large, continuing to threaten the family.
Sonia Sharma expressed that her family is living in constant fear, having exhausted all legal avenues without any meaningful resolution. She has called for an immediate high-level investigation into the matter, the arrest of the primary accused, Deepak Malhotra, Azad Kaushal, and their associates, and the provision of police protection for her family.
