By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Nov: Former BJP MLA from Landhaura, Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ often hits the headlines and almost every time for the wrong reasons. This time it is his son, Divye Pratap Singh, who has faced backlash from the people as well as from the media for his involvement in a road rage assault case on Rajpur Road in Dehradun. On the recommendation of Doon Police, the arms licences of Divye Singh were suspended by Haridwar District Magistrate Mayur Dixit today.
Singh is in trouble over serious allegations of road-rage and violent assault. The incident, which reportedly occurred late on Friday night, has now prompted the Haridwar District Magistrate to suspend three of his firearms licences after a case was registered against him.
In fact, as soon as a video of this assault related to road rage went viral, the media pressure and that of the Opposition forced the Police to register a case. Initially, some media persons claimed that in the initial FIR filed by the victim, Singh had not been named but the gunner provided to him had been suspended which led to many questions being raised as to if the assailant was unknown, how could the gunner be identified and suspended. Later, in the FIR, Divye Singh’s name was also added. There are claims that the police have been led to initiate action also because of the fact that the victim of the road rage assault in this case is Yashovardhan, son of former Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand, S Ramaswami.
According to the FIR filed at Rajpur police station, Yashovardhan, son of former Chief Secretary S Ramaswami, was travelling with his driver from Dilaram Chowk towards Sai Temple when two vehicles, a Land Cruiser and a Bolero, overtook his car near Pacific Mall. The complainant said that when his driver could not give way because of limited space, the other vehicles forced his car to stop, blocked it, and the occupants of both vehicles exited and began abusing and assaulting him.
Police sources have identified the alleged assailants as Divye Pratap Singh and his gunner Rajesh Singh, a constable with Haridwar Police. Rajesh Singh has since been suspended. According to Yashovardhan, after the car was halted, Divye Pratap and his associates dragged him and his driver out of the vehicle and physically assaulted them. He has also alleged that a gun was brandished at his driver, who was threatened with death. It is also claimed that during the incident, the gunner targeted the national flag insignia on Yashovardhan’s shirt, further escalating public outrage.
A video of the altercation allegedly capturing Divye Pratap brutally kicking and punching Yashovardhan, even while he was on the ground and apologising, has been widely shared on social media, fuelling demands for stern action.
Following the viral footage, the police added provisions under the Arms Act to the FIR and forwarded a report to the Haridwar District Magistrate seeking suspension or cancellation of Divye Pratap’s weapons licences.
District Magistrate Mayur Dixit acted swiftly, suspending Divye Pratap’s three arms licences pending a formal hearing, signalling serious administrative repercussions. This is not the first time the Champion or his family have been found to be embroiled in arms-licence controversy: in 2019, Pranav Singh Champion himself had three of his gun licences suspended after a video emerged of him dancing with firearms.
Political observers note that this fresh episode could further damage the reputation of the Champion family, already under fire following ongoing legal troubles. In March 2025, Pranav Champion was granted bail after being arrested over a fierce clash involving firearms, during which he reportedly fired more than 50 rounds.
The Opposition parties and civil society are now demanding a thorough and impartial investigation, pointing to this incident as indicative of a broader problem of VIP culture and the misuse of political influence. The police have confirmed that they are analysing CCTV footage, inspecting the vehicles involved, and collecting forensic evidence to build a strong case.
It may be recalled it was due to his controversial and strong arm tactics and controversial statements that Champion had been denied an assembly ticket by the BJP which was instead given to his wife Devyani Singh from Landhaura who lost to an independent candidate, Umesh Kumar. Champion has been hoping for a BJP ticket in 2027 assembly elections but his recent involvement in a ‘fight’ with the current MLA from Landhaura, Umesh Kumar, in which he had to spend some time behind bars and now this episode involving his son, there is a question mark over whether he can still get the party ticket in the next assembly elections.
