SRINAGAR: A police officer who thrashed journalists during a Muharram procession here was shifted to the police lines on Wednesday after Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbagh Singh ordered "immediate action" against him for his "undesirable behaviour" a day earlier.
Shergarhi police station SHO Aftab Ahmad Bhat was among nine officers shifted from their places of posting by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Srinagar Sandeep Chaudhary.
Bhat had allegedly beaten up photojournalists on Tuesday while they were covering the Muharram procession.
Earlier in the day, the Director General of Police (DGP) had directed the Srinagar SSP to take immediate action against the erring officer.
"DGP J&K Sh Dilbag Singh takes serious view of undesirable behaviour with some media men in Srinagar yesterday. SSP Srinagar directed to take immediate action against the erring police officer," the Jammu and Kashmir Police said on its official Twitter handle.
The attack on journalists evoked criticism from various quarters.
The police also detained a few Shia mourners at Jehangir Chowk in the city as they tried to take out a procession to mark the eighth day of the 10-day Muharram mourning period.
As the media personnel, mostly photo and video journalists, were discharging their professional duties, police swung into action and lathicharged them.
The policemen, armed with batons, also thrashed some of the journalists and damaged their equipment.