Greater Kashmir correspondent, Gowhar Bhat, was severely assaulted by police while he was covering a People�s Democratic Party demonstration at Chowk here.
According to eyewitnesses, a police party led by sub-inspector Javaid Ahmad of police station Kothibagh caught hold of Gowhar and pounced on him while chasing away the political party activists, who were participating in a protest rally at Lal Chowk.
�I was covering the PDP protest from a distance, when the police started chasing the protesters. Suddenly a police official came rushing towards me and slapped on my face without any provocation. Though I kept on telling him that I am a journalist, the official didn�t relent. I then tried to see his name on his nameplate. This enraged him and in no time more than a dozen policemen who were following the official started beating me with batons,� Gowhar said.
Gowhar was rushed to the Bone and Joints Hospital where doctors after thorough medical check up discharged him. The doctors said the scribe had received multiple soft tissue injuries due to severe beating and advised him to take rest for some days.
A group of photojournalists including Omar Ganai working with PTI, and Syed Muzaffar of local daily, Srinagar Times, tried to rescue Gowhar but they were also beaten by the police, eyewitnesses said.
Muzaffar was hit on head and later his colleagues also took him away.
This is the second incident wherein policemen thrashed GK staffer. In January, the GK photographer, Aman Farooq, was shot at and severely injured from a bullet fired by DSP, Safdar Samoon.
Poliical parties have condemned the assault. The PDP said that while it was understandable that the �intolerant� government should take out its ire on political opponents, it had been putting restrictions on the discharge of professional duties by media persons also.
Peoples� Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone said the media is perhaps the sole institution of expression left with the Kashmiris and attempts to muzzle it through coercion are unacceptable. �Attack on GK correspondent in full view of cameras and in broad daylight is an indicator of the respect the police has for human rights and liberties of the Kashmiri people,� he said.