Jammu and Kashmir Police book BJP leader in Srinagar for assault

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday booked Srinagar District Development Council (DDC) member and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Aijaz Hussain for ‘wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt’.

The police have filed an FIR against Hussain, who is also a member of Haj Committee of India, on the complaint of two residents.

“On the basis of complaint lodged by Nazim Hussain Bhat & Imdad Ali Mir, FIR no 51/2023 u/s 323,341 of IPC dated 30.05.2023 registered in Panthachowk police station against DDC member Aijaz Hussain Rather on offences of wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt,” Srinagar Police said in a tweet.

The police case comes after a video became viral in which some residents of Balhama, Khonmoh, in Srinagar reached Press Colony alleging that Hussain, who is a protected person, assaulted them.

A resident in the video alleged that Hussain was harassing and assaulting some people. “This is the second incident in Balhama when Aijaz Hussain is using his security cover to threaten and assault people… We want J&K DGP to intervene,” he said.

Hussain told HT that the allegations were a “drama and propaganda”. “The persons at Press Enclave are part of a land mafia. The allegations of assault are a drama. They want my security cover withdrawn,” he alleged.

Srinagar Municipal Corporation mayor Junaid Azim Mattu also tweeted pictures of a person allegedly assaulted by Hussain.

“A reign of terror has been unleashed on the people of Balhama, Srinagar, by the incumbent DDC member belonging to @BJP4India! This is the second assault on a civilian by him in less than a month! Even women are being assaulted now — under full security cover,” Mattu said.

Hussain, in response to Mattu’s tweet, alleged: “Matoo, I did not know that you are also part of the land mafia. The persons who staged drama are actually land mafia who have grabbed Pandit’s property and state land, filled thousands of kanals of agricultural land and notices to them are served by naib tehsildar concerned”.