Govt forces thrash youth, smash pvt properties after Pakistan trounced Srilanka
Government forces swooped down on people and thrashed them late last night as they erupted in joy after the win by Pakistan in the match against Srilanka.
According to police sources the residents of Vehil village of Shopian came on roads and started raising pro-Pakistan and pro-freedom slogans. The residents also raised the slogans against the Army, soon after the Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in a nail biting cricket match of the Champions Trophy 2017 at Cardiff.
A police source said that the local people came out on the roads and raised the slogans in favor of Azadi, following which the army personnel from the nearby camp came out and stared thrashing youth. They also smashed the window panes of houses and broke the other properties, he said, adding that the protesting youth were chased away by the army force personnel from the nearby camp. Dozens of shops and vehicles in were damaged in Shopian district after locals burst firecrackers to celebrate Pakistanís win over Sri Lanka.
Locals alleged that forces ransacked many shops and damaged windowpanes of houses and glasses of dozens of vehicles. Shopkeepers alleged that their merchandise was missing after nocturnal raid.
Meanwhile, locals in the morning took to streets and staged protests against the alleged ransacking by government force. ì The force personnel of the 62 RR from the Chadrugund came and ransacked the property and the matter is under investigation,íí said an official.
The army which was joined by the personnel of the special operation group (SOG) went on a rampage in the village and ransacked public and private properties including parked vehicles, window panes of houses and shops. Within no time a posse of army personnel reached the village by firing in the air and it caused fear among the villagers.
ìThe whole village was vandalized. The locks of shops were broken apart and were later ransacked. Several houses were completely ransacked, dozens of vehicles were damaged in the army action,íí said a local resident. ìWhen some locals tried to confront the army personnel, they were beaten to pulp,íí he added.
Superintendent of Police, Shopian, A S Dinkar could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts. Also dozens of residents of Turkwangam village that lies some 12 Kilometres from district headquarter Shopian were injured after forces, according to locals, barged into residential houses late last night and ruthlessly beat the inmates.
As per the reports a mild stone pelting incident had taken place in the village and it was around 11:30 pm that a large contingent of army and SOG reached the village barged into residential houses and beat the inmates. More than two dozen people are believed to have sustained injuries in the action by forceís action and a number of injured were refered to Srinagar ìdue to grievous injuries.íí
Locals alleged that forces damaged property worth lakhs in Turkawangam village during late night and they said that the nocturnal raid that started around 11:30 pm and continued till 2 am. ì The force personnel thrashed people, damaged houses and vehicles and the raids continued upto 2 am in which many persons got injured, who have been shifted to Srinagar for treatmentíí said a local resident, adding that Monday afternoon some youth hurled rocks on vehicles of forces in the village in which one army vehicle and one private car was partially damaged.
KV Correspondent
