Hearing the matter related to the alleged assault on a Block Development Officer (BDO), Jammu City Judge Ghulam Murtaza has issued a notice to the SHO of Gandhi Nagar. The court has sought an explanation for the failure to register an FIR against then SDPO Sunil Singh Jasrotia, his PSO, and other police personnel accompanying him at the time of the incident.
The action follows a complaint by Azhar Khan, posted as BDO Nagrota. Khan has accused suspended SDPO Sunil Singh Jasrotia of assault, wrongful restraint, intimidation, caste-based abuse, and obstructing him from performing official election duty. After hearing arguments from Senior Advocate Aseem Kumar Sahni, the court directed the SHO to produce a complete status report on the written complaint submitted by the BDO.
According to the complaint, Azhar Khan had been appointed Nodal Officer for transportation for the Nagrota Assembly by-election scheduled for November 11, 2025.
Incident Occurred During Transport Route Inspection
On November 10, at around 12:10 p.m., Khan and his team were inspecting transport routes near a distribution centre in the Gandhi Nagar area when his car reportedly brushed against a minibus. The complaint alleges that DSP Jasrotia arrived at the spot and, despite being informed repeatedly that Khan was on election duty under written orders, he began shouting, abusing, intimidating, and behaving in a threatening manner.
Khan alleges that DSP Jasrotia slapped and kicked him in public view, causing injuries. He claims he was humiliated before bystanders. The complaint further states that Jasrotia, along with his PSO and other policemen, forcibly put him in a police vehicle and took him to the police station, where he was wrongfully confined, assaulted, abused, and threatened with severe consequences.
Mobile Phones Seized; Election Duty Allegedly Obstructed
The complaint also alleges that Abbas Ali, a Village Level Worker who was part of the transport team, was similarly assaulted and mistreated. Both men claim they were subjected to caste-based slurs due to their Gujjar identity. Their mobile phones were allegedly seized, and they were prevented from performing their official election duties. Khan states that the incident was captured on CCTV footage.
He lodged a written complaint first with the SHO Gandhi Nagar and later with the SSP Jammu. However, no FIR was registered. Subsequently, he approached the court under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Senior Advocate Aseem Sahni argued that the police’s refusal to register an FIR violates Supreme Court guidelines. The City Judge has directed the SHO Gandhi Nagar to submit a detailed status report explaining the inaction.
