Video of man assaulting cop goes viral in Kishtwar, accused nabbed

Jammu, Jun 21 (PTI) Police have arrested a man who was seen in a video assaulting an armed police personnel after knocking him to the ground in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said on Wednesday.

Rakeen Ziya of the district’s Sangrambhata village was arrested by a police party headed by Senior Superintendent of Police (Kishtwar) Khalil Poswal, a police official said.

The senior police official, after taking cognizance of the incident, rushed to the scene and arrested the accused after a pursuit, he added.

The alleged incident occurred on Tuesday at Zelna village when the cop, posted as the personal security officer of the Assistant Regional Transport Office (ARTO), tried to restrain Ziya from misbehaving with his protectee, the police said.

The video, which was widely circulated on social media, purports to show the accused kicking and punching the armed cop, who was knocked to the ground, while eyewitnesses try to stop him.

The police official said Ziya is a self-styled goon who misbehaved with the ARTO and thrashed his personal security officer when he tried to restrain him.

He also damaged government vehicles with an iron rod, causing huge loss of public property, the official said.

A case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against Ziya and an investigation is underway.