File image of Manoharlal Dhakad
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Madhya Pradesh Police on Sunday (May 25, 2025) arrested Manoharlal Dhakad, a local politician from Mandsaur, whose purported video has gone viral showing him indulged in obscene acts with a woman on an expressway, officers said.

Mr. Dhakad was the national secretary of Dhakad Mahasabha, registered in Ujjain. The Mahasabha has issued a statement saying it has sacked him from the post.

Mandsaur SP Abhishek Anand told The Hindu that a video had gone viral on May 13 which was taken into cognisance and an FIR was lodged in Bhanpura police station under BNS sections 296, 285 and 3(5) and a probe was launched.

“The police seized the video footage for the probe and we arrested him today. We also questioned him for more than three hours,” he said, adding that Mr. Dhakad has now been sent to judicial custody after being presented in a court.

The video had been captured in a CCTV footage of a toll plaza of the NHAI.

Mr. Anand said that the police have written to the NHAI officials as the video gotten leaked from the expressway’s control room to seek details about the staff on duty at the time.

“Action will be taken against anyone who is found to be an accomplice in the case,” he said.

While the Congress has alleged that Mr. Dhakad is a local BJP leader, ruling party’s district president Rajesh Dixit has told the media that the accused is not a primary member of the party.

Mr. Dhakad’s wife is a BJP-backed independent District Panchayat member, another senior police officer had told The Hindu earlier on Saturday (May 25, 2025).