BIZARRE! Man arrested in Kashmir for saying he 'didn't expect much from non-local officers'

Srinagar: A man in central Kashmir was arrested last week for allegedly 'prompting enmity' and has been behind bars despite getting bail by a local court.

However, locals alleged that the man was booked for saying that he did not expect much from non-local officers, reportedly 'displeasuring' the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ganderbal, an IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh (UP) cadre.

Reacting to the incident, senior CPI (M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami termed the arrest as 'unwarranted and brazen violation' of the fundamental rights of people, besides called for strict action against the erring officer for 'misusing' power and authority.

Meanwhile, Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajad Gani Lone said that it should not be made as a Kashmir-Kashmir thing, but an existential crisis for democracy. ''Don't get it wrong. Don't make it a Kashmir thing. It is an existential crisis for democracy. It is about democracy,'' Mr Lone wrote on twitter.

Fifty-year-old Sajad Rashid Sofi of Safapora in Ganderbal was reportedly booked for his comment made during an interaction of locals with the J&K Lieutenant Governor's Advisor Baseer Ahmad Khan on June 10.

Locals said that Sofi told Khan that people have more expectations from him, being a Kashmiri than any non-local officer. ''What he meant was that Khan is a local and can understand local sensibilities and needs better than officers, who have just come to the valley,'' they said.

They said that Sofi's remark, which was made in Kashmiri, was answered by Khan in Urdu, saying ''we are all Indians''. ''The remark by Sofi offended Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal, Krittika Jyotsna, an IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, who left the meeting,'' they said.

They said Sofi was called to the local police station the same day and booked under the IPC Section 153 for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups. ''Police didn't release Sofi even after he was granted a bail by a local court on June 12,'' they alleged.

They said Sofi was later booked under Sections 107 and 151. A person can be put under preventive detention on the directions of an executive magistrate if there is an apprehension of breach of peace under these sections.

Mr Tarigami said that if such incidents happen during the reach out programme of the LG administration, it can create a sense of fear among the people instead of solving their grievances. ''Such an attitude of the officer is highly authoritarian and detrimental to the larger interests of not only people, but to administration itself. It damages and dents the credibility of the institution the officer represents,'' Mr Tarigami said.

He said police did not release him even when the court granted him interim bail as he has been reportedly booked additionally under sections 107 and 151 of the IPC. ''This is a brazen misuse of power and authority besides amounting to violation of fundamental rights of a citizen,'' he added.

He urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene into the matter personally and ensure that the man is not only released immediately, but action under law is taken against the erring officer for 'misuse' of power and authority. (UNI)