A controversy erupted in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district, where Manoharlal Dhakad, a politician, landed in trouble after being filmed in a compromising act with a woman on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. The video, which has since gone viral, has led to a social media storm and prompted swift action from police authorities.
The video, allegedly recorded on May 13, shows a man and a woman outside a white car, engaged in an explicit act on the expressway. The man in the video can be seen behaving in a sexually explicit way with the woman in the middle of the expressway in full public view. The entire footage, captured by surveillance cameras on the high-security eight-lane corridor, has since circulated widely across social media platforms.
Who Is Manoharlal Dhakad?
Authorities confirmed that the vehicle in question is registered to Manoharlal Dhakad, a resident of Bani village.
What added fuel to the controversy were the political links which emerged after the video went viral online. Dhakad is the husband of Sohan Bai, a district panchayat representative from Ward No. 8 in Mandsaur. She is affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, BJP leaders have been quick to refute any formal connection to Manoharlal himself.
“Dhakad is from the village Bani, but he is not a primary member of the BJP. His wife Sohan Bai is a member of the district panchayat. It is not known if Manoharlal has become a member of the party through online,” Mandsaur BJP district president Rajesh Dixit clarified to PTI.
The scandal has had professional consequences for Dhakad. Until recently, he served as the National Secretary of the Dhakad Mahasabha, a community-based organisation headquartered in Ujjain. The group promptly removed him from his position following the controversy.
This was confirmed by Arjun Dhakad, the organisation’s National President, who stated that the action was taken to uphold the dignity of the institution.
FIR Registered Against Dhakad
An FIR has been filed against Dhakad and the woman involved under sections 296, 285, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). Authorities have launched a manhunt after reports indicated Dhakad has been untraceable since the video surfaced.
The BJP, meanwhile, has made efforts to distance itself from the incident, reiterating that Dhakad is not officially linked to the party, despite his wife’s elected position.
Reacting strongly to the footage, Ratlam Range DIG Manoj Singh stated: “Such behaviour on a public road violates both legal and social norms. Public spaces are meant for safe and respectful use by all citizens.”
