Tahir Ahmad Mir, who was elected Sarpanch from the remote Jahama village, went to meet Farooq Ahmad Mir seeking transport services for students.
A newly-elected Sarpanch was allegedly thrashed by a government official for demanding adequate bus service for students from Handwara in the border district of Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir.
Farooq Ahmad Mir, assistant commissioner, Handwara, was immediately transferred under the district development commissioner, Kupwara, on the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when Tahir Ahmad Mir, who was elected as the Sarpanch from the remote Jahama village, went to meet Mir seeking transport services for students from the remote Haril Mawar belt.
Mir alleged that instead of listening to his grievance, the officer abused and thrashed them with a stick.
“Before my visit, the students had been going to his office demanding adequate bus services so that they could reach their colleges on time,” said Mir. “However, he had been giving them the cold shoulder. Today they asked me to accompany them. He abused us before thrashing us.”
Mir later staged a protest on the road demanding action against the officer.
“Everyone is angry over this incident because there is no point in contesting polls when we are treated like this,” he said.
Abdullah stepped in and ordered the removal of the officer.
‘I have asked for orders to be issued for the attachment of the SDM (assitant commissioner) pending an enquiry in to the matter,’ he tweeted.
Mohammad Shafi, district magistrate, Kupwara, said the people have called off the protest after he assured them a thorough probe into the incident.
The incident occurred on a day when former district president of the separatist Ithad-ul-Muslimeen Mohammad Abbaas was elected as Sarpanch from Pattan in north Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing local body elections after three decades, and will elect 29,719 Sarpanchs in elections spread over 16 phases, of which 11 phases are over.
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