Police FIR against official who made derogatory remarks against subordinate official’s religion

JAMMU, SEPTEMBER 8: The Jammu and Kashmir Police in Rajouri district on Thursday registered an FIR against a J&K Administrative Service (JKAS) who was earlier suspended following allegations that he made objectionable remarks against the religion of a subordinate official.

Identified as Assistant Commissioner (Panchayat), Abdul Rashid Kohli, he was suspended on Tuesday by the Rajouri District Magistrate Vikas Kundal who also ordered an enquiry into the matter by a committee headed by Additional District Development Commissioner Pawan Parihar. The committee has been asked to submit its report within 15 days.

The suspension and subsequent registration of police FIR followed a complaint by a subordinate official who accused Kohli of making the remarks while having lunch along his four subordinate officials including him at a local restaurant during office hours onTuesday afternoon. The officer made objectionable remarks against complainant’s religion after he ordered vegetarian food, the complaint added.

The conduct of the officer was not only in violation of the service conduct rules, but it also hurt religious sentiments of another community and it had the potential of creating a law and order problem in the district, the suspension order had said.