Kashmir DM beats up women, elderly for defying Covid curfew

An additional district magistrate in Kashmir was Wednesday seen beating up people, including women and elderly, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district for defying Corona curfew, forcing the administration to order an enquiry.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, additional district magistrate, Baramulla, Mohammad Ahsan Mir is seen beating people randomly including a senior bank manager, and a young woman in the midst of a market in the northern district without prior warning.

After trying his stick on a middle-aged man, citing “lockdown”, the one-minute odd video shows, Mir then roughing up a man pulling a handcart nearby. The man leaves the cart to escape the sudden beating. The ADC doesn’t even spare a middle-aged woman, the next victim, who also gets a strike or two of the stick. Fortunately, she is shielded by a man nearby.

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The incident evoked a massive outrage on social media with netizens demanding strict action against the erring officer. While some called for his sacking, others wondered “if he doesn’t have a mother, wife or daughter at home.”

Taking cognizance of the incident, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir ordered the concerned Deputy Commissioner to hold an enquiry. Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Bhupinder Kumar said he has taken cognisance of the matter. “The issue shall be thoroughly enquired into and necessary action taken,” he assured.

In a similar incident, a senior medico was allegedly manhandled by police in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. The Medical Superintendent of District Hospital, Shopian in a complaint to the concerned Deputy Commissioner, has brought the issue to the light.

“….. one of our doctors namely Dr Ehsan ul Haq (MD Pediatric) while travelling from his residence to the hospital to attend his routine duty was stopped by the JK police even after showing the identity card and was manhandled and placed under police custody at police station without any provocation/ reason at least for four hours with criminals,” the complaint reads.

It further says that the act of the police towards doctors has demoralised the medical fraternity amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “Due to the absence of the doctor who was put under police custody, patient care suffered a lot today at the hospital,” the complaint added.