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Journalism of Courage
A local court in Jammu on Monday issued a notice to the SHO of Gandhi Nagar police station, asking him to explain why no FIR was registered against suspended DySP Sunil Singh Jasrotia, his PSOs and other accompanying police personnel in connection with the alleged assault on the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Nagrota.
Senior advocate Aseem Kumar Sawhney argued that the police’s refusal to register an FIR violated the mandatory directions laid down by the Supreme Court in previous cases that make the registration of FIR compulsory in cognizable offences in case of a complaint along with a sworn affidavit by the complainant. The complainant has complied with both these conditions, he pointed out.
Issuing notice, City Judge Ghulam Murtaza asked the SHO to submit a detailed status report explaining the inaction.
BDO Azhar Khan, a Kashmir Administrative Officer, has accused the suspended officer of assault, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, caste-based abuses, and obstruction of official election duties.
According to the complaint, Azhar Khan had been appointed as the Nodal Officer for transportation for the 77-Nagrota Assembly Constituency by-election scheduled on November 11. On November 10, at around 12.10 pm, Khan and his team were inspecting transport routes near the distribution centre in Nagrota when they were involved in a minor road accident, the complaint said.
The complaint alleged that DySP Sunil Jasrotia reached the spot and, despite being informed repeatedly that Khan was on authorised election duty under written orders, began shouting, abusing, intimidating, and defaming him.
The DySP then allegedly began slapping and kicking him in full public view, causing injuries and public humiliation, Khan submitted, adding that the police officer, along with his PSOs and other police personnel, forcibly took him in a police vehicle to the police station, where he was allegedly wrongfully confined, further beaten, abused, and threatened with dire consequences.
Khan’s colleague, Abbas Ali, who was part of the transport team, was also allegedly manhandled and assaulted, the complaint said.
The complaint also alleged that both were subjected to caste-based insults linked to their Gujjar identity. Their phones were allegedly seized, and they were prevented from performing their official election duties.
The incident, according to the complainant, was captured on CCTV footage, which he has requested authorities to preserve and examine.
The complaint further said that Khan had submitted written complaints first to the SHO of Gandhi Nagar and then to the SSP of Jammu, but no FIR was registered, prompting him to approach the court.
A video clip of the November 10 incident had gone viral on social media.
The police officer was suspended pending inquiry.
