Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter Iltija Mufti have been booked for allegedly assaulting a police officer during the Peoples Democratic Party’s protest against the abrogation of Article 370 two days ago, officials said on Thursday.
According to the first information report (FIR), a case under sections 132, 121 and 191(2) Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against Mehbooba and Iltija.
“It was observed that the PDP workers, led by Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija Mufti started moving towards the main road. They were requested to not assemble on the main road, as such a gathering could disrupt the smooth movement of traffic. The request ...was not well received by the workers of the PDP. Instead, they turned aggressive and attacked the police party. They criminally used force against the police party, obstructed them in the discharge of their official duties, and also resorted to pushing and manhandling. As a result, several police officials sustained injuries,” the FIR reads.
Police have summoned PDP leader Iltija Mufti to join the investigation.
{{/usCountry}}Police have summoned PDP leader Iltija Mufti to join the investigation.
{{/usCountry}}“As part of the ongoing investigation, Iltija Mufti has been summoned to appear before Kothibagh police station tomorrow to join the investigation in accordance with law,” the police said.
Iltija, however, told HT on Thursday evening that she has not received any summons so far. “I requested police to allow me to hold a brief protest at Polo View, but a woman police officer, who was very arrogant and ill-mannered, started manhandling me, tugging at my clothes, resulting in bruises on my body. She even directed her subordinates to manhandle me,” she alleged.
She said that she had to visit a hospital to treat her bruises and then take medicines for the pain.
Iltija also alleged that the police have given directions to the businesses near the protest site to delete their CCTV footage. “Why don’t they make the whole CCTV footage public to show who was assaulting whom?” she said.
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“I was also taken to the police station,” she said.
HT’s attempts to connect with Srinagar senior superintendent of police (SSP) GV Sundeep Chakravarthy did not elicit any response. Kothibagh station house officer Adil also refused to comment.
PDP calls it “misuse” of power
Meanwhile, the PDP has issued a statement saying the FIR by the city police against Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija Mufti on 370 is a “blatant misuse of power and authority”.
“On 4 August, Mehbooba Mufti led a peaceful candlelight protest outside the PDP office. The city police (East) restricted her and the PDP workers from proceeding further. Iltija walked alone towards the main road carrying a placard, where she was intercepted and stopped by police personnel. During the intervention, she was allegedly manhandled by a woman IPS officer,” the PDP said in its statement.
“The woman officer allegedly assaulted the PDP leader and used excessive force while preventing her peaceful protest. We have eyewitnesses to the incident and intend to place the matter before a court of law,” PDP said in a statement.