Anantnag, May 5: A dispute over a dispensary building in the Damhal Khushipora area of Achabal in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district has escalated into legal action, with an FIR registered after the facility was allegedly locked by family members of a sitting MLA.
According to official sources, a First Class Magistrate Kokernag has registered FIR No. 32/2026 at Achabal Police Station following an incident in which the gate of a New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) was locked. Acting on the directions of the Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, the Tehsildar Kokernag later visited the site and had the lock broken to restore access.
The development comes amid a dispute involving the family of Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed, who currently represents the Anantnag-44 Assembly constituency. The building in question was donated in 2008, when he represented Kokernag constituency, to Syeda Memorial Trust for use as a dispensary.
Officials said the facility had been functioning for public healthcare needs until it was yesterday locked, prompting administrative intervention.
According to local accounts, the MLA’s wife and son sought possession of the building, asserting ownership. The MLA’s wife, a doctor by profession, said she had earlier written to previous and current Chief Medical Officers asking them to vacate the premises, but no action was taken.
During the visit by officials, a confrontation took place between the administration and the MLA’s family members. The MLA’s wife alleged misbehavior by officials and maintained that the building belongs to her and should be vacated by the government.
Videos of the incident, showing the exchange between officials and the MLA’s wife, have circulated widely on social media, drawing public attention to the matter.
Local residents expressed concern over the disruption of healthcare services, with some alleging that the building had originally been donated for public use when the area was part of the MLA’s earlier constituency.
Authorities have not commented in detail on the ownership claims but said the matter is under investigation following the registration of the FIR.
The incident has raised questions around the status of donated assets, administrative authority, and continuity of public services in the region. [KNT]
