JAMMU: A First Information Report (FIR), No 63/2026 was lodged against Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti at Kothibagh police station in Srinagar on August 6. The FIR has been lodged in connection with an alleged assault on a police officer on duty during a protest Iltija was a part of and leading.
Incidentally, Iltija is the daughter of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and came to prominence in 2019 first when she started handling her mother’s media handles. This happened after Mehbooba was incarcerated following the abrogation of Article 35-A and Article 370.
In 2024 elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory (UT) of J&K, Iltija was a PDP candidate from Mufti family’s home constituency of Bijebehera. The assembly segment was considered a stronghold of Muftis for decades. However, Iltija was comprehensively defeated by over 10,000 votes in this election by her National Conference rival, a doctor named Bashir Ahmad Veeri.
This was the first defeat the Mufti family suffered in over two decades in this assembly segment.
Iltija is no stranger to controversies as these seem to have kept her in the news in the past also.
According to Srinagar police, the FIR has been registered against Iltija for allegedly assaulting a police officer during a protest held in Srinagar on the eve of the anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. The protest, led by mother-daughter duo of Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija was held at a park on the evening of August 4.
Video clips of Iltija on social media platforms
The police statement says that during the demonstration, some protesters attempted to violate restrictions by blocking Residency Road and marching towards Lal Chowk. The police said personnel, including male and female contingents deployed at the site, repeatedly appealed to the protesters to maintain peace and comply with lawful directions. Despite this, some protesters attempted to breach police barricades and obstruct security personnel performing law and order duties.
In a widely shared video clip, Iltija is seen confronting some police personnel on duty. Iltija is also seen shouting at a young IPS officer Nisha Jain repeatedly and naming her in the altercation. Iltija also accuses the officer of doing gundagardi.
During a scuffle, the police has alleged that Iltija Mufti physically assaulted a police officer while he was discharging his official duties. According to the statement, she allegedly grabbed the officer and bit his forearm, causing a bleeding injury.
The injured officer was shifted to a hospital, where he received medical treatment, including wound management, tetanus prophylaxis, vaccination and other treatment as per medical protocol, the police said.
Incidentally, tetanus prophylaxis is a routine vaccination used for wound management. But it is usually administered to prevent rabies infection. It is not clear how Iltija’s alleged bite led to a tetanus becoming necessary for the police officer.
Iltija asked to appear at police station
Taking what it described as a serious view of the alleged assault on a public servant and the obstruction of lawful police action, Srinagar Police said it registered FIR No. 63/2026 at Kothibagh police station and launched an investigation into the incident. Police said Iltija Mufti has been summoned to appear at the police station to join the investigation in accordance with law.
“The investigation is in progress, and legal action shall be taken strictly in accordance with law against all persons found involved in the assault on police personnel and obstruction of public servants in the discharge of their official duties,” the statement said.
Separately, a police complaint was filed in Jammu on Wednesday seeking legal action against PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for allegedly dishonouring the national flag during a protest in Srinagar on Tuesday evening. The complaint has been filed in the Pacca Danga police station of Jammu city.
In the complaint, senior cardiologist and social activist Dr Neeraj Sharma has urged the police to initiate proceedings under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, including the registration of an FIR, according to officials. In the complaint, it has been alleged that Mehbooba was reportedly seen holding an inverted national flag during a sit-in outside the PDP office in Srinagar on Tuesday night. She was then participating in a protest against the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A seven years ago.
Police complaint against Mehbooba in Jammu
In his complaint, Dr Sharma alleged that videos and photographs of the incident show Mehbooba holding the national flag with the saffron band facing downward.
“This has not only caused disrespect to the national flag but also deep emotional insult to all the nationalist individuals in the country,” Dr Sharma said in his complaint.
The complaint requests the police to take immediate action in accordance with the law and register an FIR after examining the matter.
On the Facebook page of Mehbooba Mufti, some videos of the August 4 evening protest have been uploaded. In one clip, she is shown as taking out two flags from her bag. One flag is the state flag of Jammu & Kashmir till some years ago and the second flag is the national flag.
She holds them together, properly, with the green strip of the tricolour facing downward. Just then, she asks someone to bring sticks so that these flags could be displayed. In the second longer video clip, she is shown upholding the national flag with the saffron facing downward.
This clip has been shared widely across various social media platforms and appears to be the basis for lodging of police complaint against Mehbooba.
