For the people in Dewas, the festival of Diwali came early this year. Their beloved leader, Vikram Singh Puar has been cleared of all the charges by the Court. Acquittal of the Dewas scion is an occasion of great celebration for the janta, which had been losing faith in the judicial system due to the unnecessary delay in the Court’s verdict.
In March 2015, Vikram Singh Puar and 12 others were charged with a man’s murder following a land dispute in Raghogarh village of Dewas. However, Puar earned acquittal on February 1, after the prosecution failed to prove the charges against him.
Post the declaration of the verdict, people reacted in just the way several media houses had long been speculating. A large group, delighted with the Court’s decision, celebrated Vikram Singh Puar’s acquittal by holding a procession in front of Anand Bhawan Palace, the residence of the Dewas Royals.
Prior to Puar’s acquittal, the people of Dewas had vested great faith in his innocence. Vikram Singh Puar had always been active in social upliftment by making regular contributions towards promoting sports, women empowerment, agricultural development and sanitation facilities in Dewas. According to the people, a person who has been dedicatedly working for them can never do anything wrong.
Puar’s father, Late Maharaja Tukoji Rao Puar, was also loved and respected by the masses in Dewas. During his tenure as a Minister in the Madhya Pradesh government, the Maharaja administered several development projects in Dewas, such as the construction of the Shipra Dam project and the Dewas Bypass road.
A great visionary, Maharaja Tukoji Rao Puar also worked towards projecting Dewas as a tourist attraction, by starting a ropeway to Maa Chamunda Devi temple and Maa Tulja Bhawani Temple in the Tekri region. Due to his incessant dedication towards the welfare and development of Dewas and its people, he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly six times during his lifetime.
Vikram Singh Puar shared his father’s interest in people’s welfare, and has been filling in the void created by the Maharaja’s sudden demise. The affection and respect that the people had for Maharaja Tukoji Rao Puar, has now been relayed to his son.
When the Court held its verdict in spite of the prosecution being unable to produce sufficient evidences and witnesses, people began smelling something fishy. “They (the Court) held the charges even when there was nothing against him (Vikram Singh Puar). That made us think that maybe there is some external influence. Now the truth is finally out. Doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani ho gaya. We are happy that he (Puar) has been cleared of all the charges,” said Vijaya, a factory worker in Dewas.
