Jammu Court Intervenes in Alleged Assault on Election Officer
A Jammu court has taken significant action by issuing a formal notice to the Station House Officer (SHO) of Gandhi Nagar police station, demanding a detailed explanation for the failure to register a First Information Report (FIR) against suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Sunil Singh Jasrotia. The police officer stands accused of assaulting a Block Development Officer (BDO) who was performing his official duties during the Nagrota by-election.
Details of the Alleged Assault and Obstruction
The complainant, BDO Azhar Khan, a Kashmir Administrative Service officer, was officially appointed as the Nodal Officer for transportation for the 77-Nagrota Assembly Constituency by-election, which was scheduled for November 11. According to the formal complaint, the incident occurred on November 10 at approximately 12:10 PM.
While Khan and his team were inspecting transport routes near the distribution centre in Nagrota, they were involved in a minor road accident. The complaint alleges that suspended DySP Sunil Singh Jasrotia arrived at the scene and, despite being repeatedly informed that Khan was on authorized election duty under written orders, began shouting, using caste-based abuses, and intimidating him.
The situation escalated dramatically when the DySP allegedly began slapping and kicking Khan in full public view, causing both physical injuries and public humiliation. The complaint further states that Jasrotia, along with his Personal Security Officers (PSOs) and other police personnel, then forcibly took Khan in a police vehicle to the police station.
At the police station, Khan was allegedly wrongfully confined, subjected to further physical assault, abuse, and threats with dire consequences. His colleague, Abbas Ali, who was part of the transport team, was also reportedly manhandled and assaulted. Both officials were subjected to caste-based insults linked to their Gujjar identity, their phones were seized, and they were prevented from performing their critical election duties.
Legal Proceedings and Police Inaction
The court, presided over by City Judge Ghulam Murtaza, acted on a petition represented by Senior advocate Aseem Kumar Sawhney. The advocate argued that the police's refusal to register an FIR was a direct violation of mandatory directions established by the Supreme Court. These directives make the registration of an FIR compulsory in cognizable offences when a complaint is accompanied by a sworn affidavit from the complainant, both conditions which Azhar Khan had fulfilled.
The court has now directed the Gandhi Nagar SHO to submit a detailed status report explaining the inaction. The complainant has asserted that the entire incident was captured on CCTV footage, which he has formally requested the authorities to preserve and examine as evidence.
Prior to approaching the court, Khan had submitted written complaints first to the SHO of Gandhi Nagar and then to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Jammu, but no FIR was registered, compelling him to seek judicial intervention. Following the incident, a video clip from November 10 went viral on social media, leading to the suspension of DySP Sunil Singh Jasrotia pending a formal inquiry.
