Jharkhand SIR Drive: Villager Accuses Circle Officer Of Tearing Documents And Assault

A dispute broke out at the Kurku block office in Jharkhand’s Seraikela-Kharsawan district on Saturday during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. A villager alleged that the Circle Officer tore his documents during a discussion over a notice issued to him and assaulted a man accompanying him. Circle Officer Abhay Kumar Dwivedi denied both allegations.

The villager, Arshad Ansari, is a construction worker from Chauda village. The Indian Express reported that Ansari said he had gone to the office over a notice linked to his voter details.

The dispute later spilled outside the office. Residents gathered at the block office, staged a protest and raised slogans. Protesters also rejected social media claims that Muslims were trying to assault and lynch the officer, saying the allegation was false.

Notice And Documents

Ansari, 34, said he went to the Kurku block office on September 12 after receiving a notice that pointed to a discrepancy in his father’s name. He said he wanted clarity on what he had to submit for verification.

He said he carried photocopies of his Aadhaar card, voter ID, the 2003 electoral roll and land-related documents. He also wanted to know whether any additional paper, including a vanshavali (genealogy document), was required.

“I am not very educated and wanted to understand what documents I had to submit. So, I approached the officer to assist me but he got aggressive over it and shouted on me,” Ansari said.

Ansari alleged that during the exchange, the officer tore the notice and the papers attached to it. He said these included photocopies of his Aadhaar card, voter ID, the 2003 electoral roll and land records.

Sajid, Ansari’s relative, also told The Indian Express that Ansari was scolded and his papers were torn. “Then, we all gathered to speak to him (the officer) and he raised his hands and hit me. This is unfortunate that an official, who is there to help us, indulges in such an unprofessional act. We have already been disturbed by the process for so many months and if the officials will not cooperate, then who will we turn to for assistance?” Sajid said.

Protest And Video

Ansari alleged that Sajid was assaulted when he intervened during the altercation.

The Indian Express reported that a video aquired by them appeared to show the officer raising his hand and moving towards a man during the argument.

Residents then gathered outside the block office and held a protest. They raised slogans and disputed social media posts that, they said, falsely portrayed the crowd as trying to attack the officer.

“After the altercation, CO officer locked himself inside his office for around two hours to avoid any conversation with people. That circulated everywhere on social media as rumour that the protesters tried to assault and lynch him,” Mohammad Mehmood Sultan, a protester, said.

Officer’s Response

Dwivedi denied the allegations. He said there was no incident of assault and no tearing of papers.

He told The Indian Express that some people had come to his office two or three times earlier as well and may have been disturbed because of the SIR process. He also said officials had already explained that a vanshavali was not required in every case and that the necessary documents could be checked and processed.

Dwivedi firmly denied hitting anyone. Addressing a recording that showed him advancing towards a man with a raised hand, he said no attack occurred. The administrator currently works as Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) at Nimdih block alongside his responsibilities as officer in charge at Kurku.

Dwivedi said his work included signing vanshavalis. He added that officials had been helping residents complete their paperwork, collecting land records and maps and organising camps so that people could obtain certificates.

“We want the SIR done successfully for everyone and people are cooperating with us,” Dwivedi said.

He appealed to residents to cooperate with the SIR process and said the dispute should now be put to rest.

Political Reaction And Status

No complaint has been filed by either side in the matter.

Local AJSU leader Ashok Saw criticised Dwivedi’s conduct and called the officer’s behaviour and statement “totally wrong”.

“This is not the first time. The CO has earlier pushed people, snatched papers and abused people. There are complaints against him from Nimdih block as well where he assaulted the Adivasis. In Kurku, people of all communities were present, not just one community. The CO abused and manhandled them,” Saw said.