Manhandled by traffic cops in Srinagar, says oncologist and JKNC leader Sameer Kaul; police denies

Srinagar, June 25: Renowned oncologist and JKNC leader, Dr Sameer Kaul on Tuesday said that he was manhandled by the traffic police while he was driving as per their directions along the foreshore road in Srinagar, however, the city's traffic police denied the allegations, saying it was Kaul who assaulted the officer on duty.

The incident, Kaul said happened when the traffic was halted while the Lieutenant Governor's convoy was passing and subsequently he was directed to take a different route which he did. However, as per Kaul, a group of policemen redirected him to the previous road, which again he obeyed. As he moved, he was stopped by cops and attacked, Kaul told a TV news channel.

Terming the incident as unfortunate, Kaul said that "he has never seen this power drunkenness which he saw on the road today," said Kaul who had been bandaged near the elbow.

"My spectacles were broken too," he said, adding that he has filed a formal complaint with the concerned police station.

As Kaul's statement gained popularity on the Internet, political leaders including former Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, and CPI (M) leader, M Y Tarigami took to their official handles to condemn the act by the men in uniform.

"This shows the plight of ordinary Kashmiris & the high handedness they face from officials who are expected to uphold the rule of law," Mufti said while commenting on the incident.

"It has become a standard practice of police to stop commuters for hours to allow the cavalcade of VVIPs to pass. Such a practice is highly unwarranted and unacceptable," said Tarigami while condemning the incident.

"This unacceptable behaviour is indicative of the indiscipline that has seeped on to the system over the last 5 years. A complete lack of any accountability has reduced J&K to a lawless place where authority is simply a privilege to abuse," Omar wrote on X.

Meanwhile, the Traffic Police Srinagar also responded to the allegation, saying the vehicle was wrongly parked during the convoy of Lieutenant Governor and when the officer on duty initiated the penalising process, "the occupant of the vehicle entered into a verbal altercation with the officers present and assaulted them."