Srinagar: Two days after a protest on the eve of the seventh anniversary of the reading down of Article 370 turned confrontational between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cadre and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police, PDP leader Iltija Mufti has been summoned by police to join an investigation into allegations that she assaulted a police officer during the demonstration at S.K Park.The summons comes amid mixed accounts of the August 4 incident, with police accusing Iltija Mufti of attacking personnel on duty, while the PDP alleged that she was assaulted by police. The party questioned the conduct of male officers in handling a woman protester.According to police, the protest was organised by the PDP, led by former CM Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter, Iltija. As protestors tried to march towards Lal Chowk, police said they intervened to prevent them from defying restrictions imposed in the area.In an FIR filed at Kothi Bagh police station, police alleged that Iltija physically assaulted a police officer while he was performing his official duties.Police claimed that despite repeated requests to maintain peace, a section of the protesters tried to block Residency Road and move towards Lal Chowk, leading to a confrontation.“As part of the ongoing investigation, Iltija Mufti has been summoned to appear before Police Station Kothibagh to join the investigation in accordance with law,” the police official said.‘Dragged by police while trying to peacefully reach Lal Chowk’The PDP has rejected the police version alleging that Iltija was subjected to excessive force during the protest.Following the demonstration, Iltija was admitted to a private hospital in Srinagar, claiming she had been manhandled by police. Images shared by the party showed bruises on her feet. She was discharged late on Thursday (August 6) after treatment.Images shared by the PDP showed bruises on Iltija Mufti’s feet. She was discharged late on Thursday (August 6) after treatment. Photo: PDPA PDP worker who said he witnessed the incident posted on social media that Iltija was “trying to peacefully reach Lal Chowk” when she was allegedly dragged by police.“She was dragged for nearly half an hour while we were kept over 30 metres away. Every time we tried to reach her, the police pushed us back, beat us and snatched our phones. The scars on her body speak for themselves,” he wrote.The party has also questioned why male police personnel allegedly handled Iltija during the confrontation.“Even if we go by the FIR, serious questions remain: Was it lawful for male policemen to physically restrain a woman? If the FIR alleges she attacked a policeman, how did he come into such close physical contact with her?” the PDP worker who was part of the protest wrote on social media.The party argued that the episode raises wider concerns about the treatment of ordinary citizens by law enforcement.“If this could happen to the daughter of a former chief minister in the presence of women police officers, what hope does an ordinary citizen have of being treated with dignity and protected under the law?” he asked.FIR lodged by police names Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija Mufti as accusedThe First Information Report (FIR No. 63/2026), registered at Kothibagh Police Station under Sections 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 121 (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 191(2) (rioting) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), is based on a complaint filed by the officer leading the patrolling party.According to the complaint, police personnel on patrol near Residency Road noticed PDP workers led by Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija Mufti moving towards the main road around 9.10 pm on August 4. Officers said they requested the protesters not to assemble on the road to avoid disrupting traffic. The FIR names Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija Mufti as the accused.The complaint alleges that the request was met with hostility, after which protesters allegedly “turned aggressive,” used criminal force against police personnel, obstructed them from discharging official duties, and pushed and manhandled officers, leaving several policemen injured.A copy of the FIR, accessed by The Wire, states that several police personnel sustained injuries during the alleged scuffle with PDP workers.Iltija Mufti at a private hospital in Srinagar. Photo: PDPIt further mentions that injury forms were prepared for the injured officers, who were subsequently shifted to hospital for medical examination and treatment. The document, however, does not specify the number of injured personnel or the nature of their injuries.‘It speaks volumes about how they treat ordinary people’Speaking to The Wire, PDP legislator Waheed Ur Rehman Parra confirmed that Iltija Mufti had been asked to appear before Kothibagh Police Station at 2 pm on Friday (August 7).“If they can manhandle the granddaughter of a former Union home minister – her grandfather Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was a former Union home minister and chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir – it speaks volumes about how they treat ordinary people,” the PDP legislator said.