The SHO was airlifted to AIIMS Delhi. (File)
Station House Office of Nigeen police station in Srinagar, Inspector Manzoor Ahmad, was on Saturday airlifted for treatment at AIIMS, Delhi, after he sustained head injuries during a patrol on Friday. A stray stone thrown at the vehicle entered through a small slot in armoured vehicle, ricocheted off the dashboard and hit him on the forehead, said police.
SP, Hazratbal, Amod Nagpure, who was part of the police party patrolling Foreshore Road area, told The Indian Express, “There was apprehension of a law and order situation and we were patrolling the area when a stray stone entered the gypsy the officer was in and hit him on the forehead.”
The SHO was rushed to Srinagar’s Police hospital with a skull fracture and an eye injury. He was then treated at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences as his injury was reported to be critical. IG, Kashmir, S P Pani confirmed to The Indian Express that the officer was transferred to Delhi in an air ambulance as he needed urgent medical attention. Police lodged an FIR citing attempt to murder and made two arrests.
The IG said that since the beginning of the conflict in Kashmir, 1,600 policemen lost their lives. “For a police force of 1.10 lakh men, that is a big number. This is perhaps the highest number of police lives lost in any state,” he said. However, Pani said that the J&K Police is now in a much better position “in terms of infrastructure, ex-gratia and preparedness.”