Madhya Pradesh SDM sends delivery leader to jail after receiving fewer parcels
A Subdivisional Magistrate (SDM) in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna district sent a delivery manager to jail after he failed to find the items he had ordered through an online platform. The district administration is considering issuing a case against him.
A video of the alleged incident that took place on July 21 has surfaced online and the conversation where executive Vijay Kushwaha can be heard telling Ramnivas Choudhary, SDM, Shahnagar that he has delivered a sealed package and that he can request a refund as per the platforms return policy.
The incident took place in Mr. Choudhary’s office. Ordered two sets of two cell phone covers but only got one in each box.
“You’re going to jail in two seconds. You took money for two (mobile phone covers) but there’s only one inside the box. Are you returning the money or not? I’m not applying for a refund,” Mr Choudhary tells the manager.
Mr. Kushwaha then says, “I gave a wrapped box and it has a return policy and you can return it. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Why did you abuse me? You are using me in a wrong way,” says Mr Kushwaha, after which the SDM staff told him to get out of the room as Mr Choudhary ordered them to call the police.
Then the delivery manager narrates the incident in the video.
Panna Collector Usha Parmar told The Hindu that while the delivery manager was released on bail on July 22, the district administration is going to issue a show-cause notice to the SDM.
When contacted, Mr. Choudhary alleged that Mr. Kushwaha was “talking obscenely” and also “slammed his hands on the table.”
“He gave the package to my staff and left. When we called him within minutes, he said he had traveled far and initially refused to come back. So I scolded him. When he returned, he entered my chamber with the mobile video on. I asked him to return the money, but he refused and said we can call the police,” the SDM said.
“He is a resident of Pawai area of Panna district but lied that he was from Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
Panna Superintendent of Police (SP) Nivedita Naidu said that “on the face of it, the incident appeared to be a case of abuse of power”.
She said that while the police did not arrest the van driver, the local Tehsildar prepared an arrest warrant against him under Section 170 of BNSS based on the statement of the SDM and his staff, following which he was sent to jail.
“The SDM and his staff did not tell the police that the matter was related to online delivery. They only said in their statements that the man was disturbing the peace in the SDM’s office. They did not tell us the whole matter,” Ms Naidu said.
Published – 26 Jul 2026 01:20 IST