Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Tohana, Prateek Hooda, is facing serious allegations of misconduct from a lawyer who went to register property in the village of Chandkala. According to the lawyer, Jaipal Malik, the SDM threatened him with a humiliating punishment involving making him squat and rotate around the court premises if he insisted on processing the documents.
The Haryana government, which has delegated registration powers to the SDM, is now under scrutiny as the lawyer alleges that Hooda refused to review his documents and verbally abused him. This incident has sparked outrage among the members of the Bar Association, leading them to suspend work for a day and stage a significant protest outside the SDM’s office.
The protesting lawyers demand a public apology from the SDM and are calling for strict action from both the government and the Election Commission to ensure such behavior is not repeated. The Bar Association’s president, Suresh Gill, confirmed that the altercation occurred when lawyer Jaipal Malik visited the SDM office for registration duties, during which Hooda not only dismissed the documents without consideration but also resorted to offensive language and threats.
