Police ‘thrash’ doctor in Qamarwari

A doctor was allegedly thrashed by the police in Srinagar this morning. Ijtaba Shafi, a dental surgeon, alleged that he was slapped and manhandled by the police when he objected to the beating of a civilian in Qamarwari square of the city.
“I was commuting towards my office when vehicles plying on the lane were being stopped by police men. One of them snatched vehicle registration certificates from many owners. Then, a sub inspector dragged a driver and started beating him ruthlessly after having a verbal altercation with him. Such was the intensity of the beating that he bled from nose,” Shafi said and added, “We were told that we were not supposed to be in the double lane which everybody was following.”
Shafi said he approached the officer concerned and asked why his RC was seized. “I was asked to apologise for “violating” traffic rules, to which I disagreed. The officer got irritated, slapped me and grabbed me from my collar and tore my shirt. I was forcibly carried to the police station where some of his fellows harassed me and used abusive language,” Shafi claimed. He was later allowed to go.
A police officer, however, denied the allegation and said the doctor assaulted a police officer on duty.
“He was travelling in a wrong lane and when we seized his vehicle’s RC, he came down and assaulted an officer on duty. We have registered a case against him under Section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the RPC,” the officer said.