Jammu Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chairman Harsh Dev Singh was booked under various provisions of Ranbir Penal Code on Tuesday for allegedly “misbehaving” with Udhampur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ravinder Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rayees Ahmed Bhat during an official meeting. On Monday, the Panthers Party leader along with former Udhampur MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia and 70 to 80 party workers had allegedly barged into the DC’s office when Ravinder Kumar was chairing a meeting of district officials. Harsh Dev, reportedly, accused former MLAs of using their constituency development fund and inaugurating development projects, when the legislative Assembly was in suspended animation. In the video clip, which has gone viral on social networking sites since the incident, the JKNPP leader is purportedly heard calling officials as “pithu of politicians” and also shouting at SSP Rayees Ahmed Bhat, saying “tum kya bakwaas kar rahey ho (what nonsense you are talking)”. The clip also shows Ravinder Kumar standing on a chair in a bid to intervene, as Singh is purportedly seen “misbehaving” with him. A case was lodged against the Panthers Party chief on Tuesday following instructions from Ravinder Kumar. SSP Bhat said the offences levelled against Harsh Dev Singh were non-bailable and he would be arrested soon. Denying the charges, the JKNPP leader claimed that the SSP had misbehaved with his wife, who had accompanied him to the DC’s office. Last year, Singh had ransacked the office chamber of Ravinder’s predecessor Niraj Kumar, an official said, without wishing to be named.
