COVID-19: Netizens aghast as ADC Baramulla beats lockdown ‘violators’

BARAMULLA — Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Baramulla has came under fire on surfacing of a nearly two-minute long video clip, wherein he can be seen whacking people with a stick including a woman, for apparently dodging Corona curfew guidelines in the district.

In the video-clip, the middle-rung district level officer can be seen enquiring about the purpose of movement from passers-by, even as in the meantime whacking several people, including a woman, with a stick and asking them to retreat back.

The video, soon after hit social media, garnered a strong response from netizens across Jammu and Kashmir even as a majority taking exception on the approach of officer – to implement the lockdown.

Later in the day, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang Kondbharao Pole, while talking to media persons, said that it will be looked into as into what context the officer has resorted to the act. “We will see in which context he (ADC Baramulla) did it,” Pole said.

In the meantime, Additional Commissioner Kashmir Qazi Sarwar, in a communiqué, has asked Deputy Commissioner Kupwara ‘to submit a factual report in context of the viral video’.

“…I am directed to request you to kindly send the factual report viz-a-viz the context of the situation and the content of the video to this office as soon as possible,” reads the communiqué.

It is pertinent to mention here that the authorities have extended the Corona curfew up to May 17 in view of steep surge in COVID-19 cases.

J&K reported 65 more COVID-19 deaths for the second day in a row, taking the toll beyond 2900-mark even as 4509 more cases simultaneously take infected persons’ tally to 22,9407.