Senior official allegedly assaulted in Baramulla, employees protest

Baramulla, Oct 25: An official was allegedly assaulted by some people during duty hours in his office on Tuesday with police saying they arrested four persons in the case so far.
An official said that Sheikh Tariq, who is Assistant Director, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Baramulla was assaulted by a few goons at his office.
Following the incident, employees staged a protest demanding action against the accused.
They said that some persons barged inside the office premises and assaulted the assistant director while a few employees were also beaten.
An employee said that the incident took place when a delegation from Khushalpora Chinnad was pleading for the ration to be supplied through a sale centre instead of a fair price shop at the location, where they resorted to verbal duels with the employees. He said, that the matter is already in court and the department is just adhering to the Court orders in letter and spirit. “There are clear directions from the honourable court, that only one fair price shop would run at the location but some vested interested persons are instigating and provoking the villagers, resulting into these assaults”, he added.
The employees threatened to strike if the culprits are not put behind the bars. “There will be no food distribution in any of the stores in Baramulla district if action is not initiated against the culprits”, they said.
They also alleged that the violent incident had been carried out at the behest of a so-called journalist who owns a shop in Sopore and is a resident of Chinnad Sangrama.
The employees alleged that the so-called journalist instigated people against the department officials in various areas of Baramulla district in order to fulfil his ulterior motives.
Repeated attempts to contact Assistant Director Sheikh Tariq could not materialise.
A Police official when contacted said that they have registered the case in this regard and further investigations have been taken up.
“We have arrested four people so far and hunt to nab the other culprits,” the official added.