Attack triggers protest by employees demanded stern action against the assaulters, police arrested four attackers
Reyaz Rashid
Baramulla: Employees of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) staged strong protest demanding stern action against the attackers after group of people from Khushalpora Channad attacked Assistant Director CAPD Baramulla and his staff in AD food office in Baramulla on Tuesday.
Following the protest and complaint by AD Food, police arrested four persons allegedly involved in a physical assault on the district officer and his subordinate staff.
Protesting employees told reporter that a delegation from Khushhal Pora Channad led by Mohammad Subhan Wani flanked by a social media journalist Ghulam Hussan visited office of AD food demanding that they should be supplied ration through a sale centre instead of a fair price shop at Channad.
“After giving them patient hearing, I told the delegation that there are court directions in this matter which can’t be over ruled but they did not listen anything. The group hurled choicest abuses and resort to manhandling with me and my employees,” said AD Food Sheikh Tariq.
“They held us hostage and tore the clothes of our employees and resorted to physical assault on me as well. Later the police came to the spot for our rescue and took some persons into custody,” he added.
Soon after the incident, employees of department and a union of the food department officials led by district vice president fair price shops of Baramulla staged protest demonstrations. The protesters demanded immediate action against the culprits as warranted under law.
They also alleged that the violent incident had been carried out at the behest of one ‘facebook journalist’ running AAP news page Ghulam Hussan from Chandan Sopore. The protesters alleged that the so-called journalist incites violent incident and instigated the general public against the department officials in various areas of Baramulla district in order to fulfill his ulterior motives. They also sought police action against the accused facebook reporter.
The protesters announced a pen down strike till the case against the accused attackers is taken to its logical conclusion. “There would be no distribution of ration at fair price shops and other sale centres in Baramulla till the police take a strict action against the culprits,” the protesters announced.
When contacted SHO Baramulla, Showkat Ahmad he informed that police have registered FIR in the matter and have arrested four accused also. “We have already started investigations into the complaint,” he added.