Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Harwan official alleges on-duty assault and one-sided portrayal; warns of criminal and defamation proceedings over social media posts
Srinagar: A government official posted as Parwati Harwan has approached the court seeking legal action against Facebook pages and individual users who uploaded and circulated a video accusing him of corruption, claiming that the footage presented a one-sided version of an incident without verifying the facts.
As per sources, the Patwari has alleged that the controversy arose during an official visit when a resident confronted him, triggered a confrontation, and assaulted him while simultaneously levelling corruption allegations against him.
The official has maintained that the video subsequently circulated on social media failed to present the circumstances leading to the confrontation or his version of the incident, thereby portraying him in a manner that, he claims, has adversely affected his reputation and dignity as a government employee.
According to the Patwari, the alleged assault and obstruction during the discharge of official duties may attract provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including Section 132, which deals with assault or criminal force against a public servant in the execution of official duty, and Section 221, relating to voluntarily obstructing a public servant in the discharge of public functions.
As per sources Patwari has further indicated that he is examining defamation proceedings under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against those who, he alleges, published or republished unverified and allegedly damaging accusations against him. The provision covers imputations published with the requisite intention or knowledge of harming a person’s reputation, while also containing exceptions, including certain good-faith opinions concerning public servants and substantially true reports of court proceedings.
The official has also warned that legal proceedings could be initiated against social media/ Facebook pages portraying themselves as news platforms if they published the video without seeking his response or independently establishing the allegations made against him.
He has contended that the unrestricted circulation of an unverified, one-sided video can have serious consequences for the dignity, reputation and personal safety of a government employee, particularly when allegations of corruption are presented to the public as though they were established facts.
As per sources the revenue official is understood to be seeking appropriate legal remedies against the persons involved in the alleged assault as well as those responsible for uploading and circulating the disputed material.
