| JKAS officer, VLW granted pre-arrest bail | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Nov 18: The Court of 3rd Additional Sessions Judge, Jammu, Madan Lal, granted pre-arrest (anticipatory) bail to a JKAS officer and a Village Level Worker (VLW) who were named as accused in FIR No. 245/2025 of Police Station Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, arising out of a high-profile altercation that occurred on November 10.
The bail application was moved by Azhar Khan (31), a JKAS officer of 2020 batch, presently posted as Block Development Officer (BDO), Nagrota, and Abbas Ali (37), a VLW in the Rural Development Department, both residents of Jammu. They were represented by Senior Advocate Aseem Kumar Sawhney along with Advocate Khushboo Sharma, while the UT of J&K was represented by the Ld. Additional Public Prosecutor.
According to the applicants, Azhar Khan had been nominated as Nodal Officer (Transport) for Assembly Constituency 77-Nagrota for the by-election scheduled on 11 November 2025. On 10 November, he and Abbas Ali were allegedly on election duty inspecting transport routes near the Distribution Centre at Government Polytechnic College, Jammu, to ensure smooth movement of polling parties and material.
They claimed that while they were in their car on a stretch of road under construction, a matador (JK02BG-3776), allegedly driven rashly by one Chaman Lal, hit their vehicle from the rear. The applicants stated that as they got down to inspect the damage, some police personnel already present at the spot joined them. During this process, one constable allegedly started pushing Azhar Khan without provocation.
The application further alleges that then SDPO Gandhi Nagar, DySP Sunil Jasrotia arrived at the spot, abused, pushed, slapped and kicked Azhar Khan in full public view, used caste-based slurs referring to them as "Gujjars", and then forcibly took both applicants to Police Station Gandhi Nagar, where they were allegedly wrongfully confined, beaten, abused and prevented from performing election-related official duties. The incident, the applicants claimed, was captured on nearby CCTV cameras and later circulated on social media, triggering widespread outrage and prompting the Government to first attach and then suspend the DySP vide Order No. 541-Home of 2025 dated 13.11.2025.
The applicants contended that the present FIR was a "counter-blast" and a "smokescreen" allegedly lodged by the concerned police officials "in cahoots" with the matador driver to justify their earlier illegal acts. They argued that no grounds of arrest were supplied, no copy of FIR was provided to them at the relevant time, and that the arrest procedure and safeguards laid down by law for offences punishable up to seven years' imprisonment had been violated. They also relied on their status as government servants with no criminal antecedents, deep roots in society, and an undertaking not to flee from justice or tamper with evidence.
After hearing the defence and the Additional PP and perusing the record, the court directed that the applicants shall join investigation and, in the event of their arrest in the case, be released on bail on furnishing personal and surety bonds of ?50,000 each to the satisfaction of the SHO, Police Station Gandhi Nagar.
The anticipatory bail is interim and subject to objections from the prosecution, and also subject to the condition that the applicants are not involved in cases carrying punishment of more than seven years, or offences under specific serious provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the IPC sections relating to rape and aggravated sexual offences, or under any special laws.
The court further imposed conditions that the applicants shall appear before the Investigating Officer at 10:00 a.m. on the next day and thereafter as and when required, shall not leave the UT of J&K without prior permission of the court, shall not threaten, induce or promise any person acquainted with the facts of the case, and shall remain present before the court on each date of hearing till disposal of the bail application.
A copy of the order was handed over to the APP in open court with a direction to obtain a detailed report in the matter and file formal objections by the next date, fixed as December 1,2025.
—(JNF) |
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