FIR registered against Army for allegedly beating up government official in J&K

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the Indian Army for allegedly manhandling and thrashing a senior government official and four other employees in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district while they were on poll duty.

A senior police officer said the FIR was registered at the Qazigund Police Station on a written application filed by Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Dooru Ghulam Rasool Wani.

The SDM and four other government employees, who were heading to Vessu area in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district for poll-related duty on Monday, were allegedly intercepted by army men at the Dalwach Crossing on the Srinagar-Jammu highway and were not allowed to proceed despite it not being “a convoy day”. They were then thrashed by the army men, said the complaint.

South Kashmir DIG Atul Goel confirmed that the FIR had been registered and said an investigation had been launched into the matter.

The SDM had written to J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, DIG South Kashmir, DC Anantnag, SSP Kulgam and the SHO of the Qazigund station saying that he even stepped out of the vehicle and made his identity clear to the troops. 

“However, the army men grabbed my collar and dragged me. The army men also beat the driver and three other employees travelling in the vehicle,” he said. He further said the army men cocked their guns and pointed it towards them.