Jammu and Kashmir government today directed Deputy Commissioner Anantnag to inquire into the alleged abuse of a National Conference legislator by a police officer when the former raised the issue of fleecing of tourists at Pahalgam base camp for Amarnath Yatra.
The deputy commissioner has been asked to inquire the allegations of misbehaviour of Station House Officer (SHO) Pahalgam with opposition National Conference (NC) MLC Bashir Ahmad Veeri and submit a report within seven days.
At the Legislative Council yesterday, Veeri had raised the
issue of alleged fleecing of tourists by private security guards deployed by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department at Pahalgam, base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, in south Kashmir.
The MLC had alleged the security guards were fleecing the tourists and were involved in acts of corruption.
"They are working under the supervision of the Station House Officer (SHO) concerned. When I raised the issue with the SHO, he misbehaved with me. The police officer abused me and this House as well," he claimed.
However, according to the preliminary report submitted by Home Secretary, Veeri had violated traffic rules in the tourist resort which led to the verbal altercation between the police officer and the legislator.
"There was one-way traffic going on at the resort and the MLC took the wrong side to which the SHO objected. This led to a verbal altercation between the MLC and the police officer," Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Basharat Bukhari said after going through the preliminary report.
Intervening in the matter, Veeri said there was no mention
as to why there was an altercation at first place.
Deputy Chairman, Legislative Council, who was in the Chair, said the matter was serious and the government should present complete facts before the house after an inquiry.
N ot satisfied with the proceedings, the NC MLA and other members from the Opposition demanded that a House Committee be constituted to conduct the inquiry.
However, Bukhari then announced that the Deputy Commissioner of Anantnag would hold a full-fledged probe into the issue.
