Army thrashes 7 policemen, leaves them injured
Seven policemen were injured in Ganderbal district Saturday when they were beaten up by armed force personnel at a check-post.
Police have registered a case against the Army personnel, an official said. He said that the Army personnel also damaged the records kept at a police station.
The incident took place when private vehicles, carrying army personnel in civvies, were returning from the Baltal base camp of Amarnath yatra. The army men were signaled to stop at the Sonamarg check-post, but they did’nt stop and kept proceeding towards Ganderbal. Following this the police personnel at Sonamarg post sent a message to the next check post at Gund to stop the vehicles. As the vehicles reached Gund policemen manning the check post stopped them and did not let them proceed further as the cut-off time for yatra vehicles had already passed. As the policemen informed the army men that there were strict directions not to allow any movement of yatra vehicles, the army men called up other personnel and thrashed the on-duty police men.
“ The army men called their colleagues from the 24 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) unit, who reached the spot and allegedly thrashed the policemen,’’ said the police official. He added that the army men barged into the Gund police station, ransacked it, “damaged the records kept there, and assaulted the on-duty policemen.’’
Seven policemen, including an assistant sub-inspector, were injured and taken to hospital, the official said. The police have registered a case against the personnel attached to 24 RR, he said.
On the incident however the police and Army maintained a contradictory line.
Police version
Police in said in a statement that the army parties of 24 RR headed by captain Shukla along with the personnel in civvies entered into police station Gund and thrashed all the police personnel present there. During intervening night of 21-22 July a group of 30 personnel of 24 RR in civvies travelling in four different vehicles escaped forcibly from the naka point established by police station Sonmarg at Poney stand. The vehicles were carrying the army personnel, who were coming back after yatra. Due to the already issued cut off timing and present circumstance it was not feasible to allow yatris after cut off time. The naka party of police station Gund Ganderbal headed by Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI), Ghulam Rasool, stopped the said vehicles as per the directions.
However the personnel, who were in civvies without showing any identification, came down from the vehicles and started thrashing the on duty officer and other officials resulting in injuries to the ASI. After that army parties of Gund and Surfraw 24 RR headed by Captain Shukla along with the personnel in civvies entered into police station Gund and thrashed and injured all the police personnel present in the police station and damaged some records of police station Gund Ganderbal as well as some belongings of officials. In this regard case FIR No. 18/2017 U/S 147, 148, 307, 323, 332, 353, 427, 120-B RPC has been registered.
Army version
A minor altercation took place Friday night between some army personnel returning from Amarnath yatra in civil dress and Jammu and Kashmir police personnel at Gund. No major injuries were suffered in the incident and the matter has been resolved by personal intervention of senior officers. Measures to prevent recurrence have been taken.
Omar seeks action
Former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, has demanded action against the army personnel for allegedly thrashing and injuring seven policemen. “Why would the army beat up J&K police personnel in a police station? This requires immediate clarification/action by the authorities,” Omar twetted.
KV Correspondent
