DSP suspended after altercation with JKAS officer

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sunil Singh following allegations of manhandling a J&K Administrative Service (JKAS) officer over a traffic accident involving the officer’s car and a minibus. The incident, which was captured on CCTV, occurred in Jammu recently.

In an official order, the government stated, “In terms of Rule 31(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification Control & Appeal) Rules, 1956, and pending an inquiry, Sunil Singh, Dy SP and the then SDPO Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect.” During the suspension period, Singh will be attached to the police headquarters in J&K.

Singh’s suspension follows an escalation of the matter, which reached the offices of Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat and Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo. Singh was transferred and attached to the police headquarters on Monday after a video showing him physically confronting the JKAS officer, Azhar Khan, went viral.

The incident began when Khan, the Block Development Officer (BDO) on election duty for the Nagrota bypoll, was involved in a traffic accident with a minibus. According to reports, an argument ensued between Khan and the minibus driver, Chaman Lal. Singh, who arrived at the scene to mediate, became involved in the dispute, leading to a physical altercation with Khan, which was caught on CCTV.

Chaman Lal, the minibus driver, later claimed that Khan slapped him during the altercation, prompting Singh to intervene. However, instead of calming the situation, Singh reportedly became embroiled in the confrontation with Khan.

The incident triggered strong reactions from the JKAS officers, with many sending a letter to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha demanding action against the police officer. The letter, signed by multiple JKAS officers, emphasised that Khan was carrying out his official duties as the Nodal Officer for Transport under lawful election orders at the time of the incident. They condemned Singh’s actions as unjustifiable, particularly given Khan’s role in overseeing the election process.

The letter also highlighted that following the altercation, Khan faced harassment through the registration of a false FIR. The officers expressed concern that such behaviour undermines the morale of public servants working under high-pressure conditions. In solidarity with Khan, the JKAS officers announced they would take mass casual leave until “stern and visible action” was taken against the accused officer and measures were implemented to prevent such incidents in the future.