SHO and policemen assaulted in Kishtwar police station, case registered against army CO and 40 soldiers

Due to traffic violation, the police had stopped the personal vehicle of an army officer and confiscated it.

Jammu. Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered a case against several army personnel, including an Army commanding officer, for storming into a police station in Kishtwar district, attacking policemen and damaging government property. The Army said the matter is under investigation through appropriate institutional mechanisms and appropriate action will be taken on the basis of joint investigation.

According to officials, the incident took place when the police team stopped and seized the personal vehicle of an army officer for alleged traffic violation. The FIR lodged at the Atholi police station states that the incident occurred on Wednesday when station in-charge (SHO) Inspector Amrit Kotach had gone to the office of the Paddar Block Development Officer to attend a meeting, which was being presided over by the Deputy Commissioner.

Kotach, in his complaint, said he received a call informing him that a violent attack was carried out as part of a criminal conspiracy within the police station premises and that the incident took place on the direct instructions of N Arun Gandhi, Commanding Officer of 17 Rashtriya Rifles (RR).

Station in-charge (SHO) said that around 30 to 40 personnel of Camp Kijayi of 17 RR, led by Major Vikas Sharma and Naib Subedar Shankar Gurkhe, carried out a pre-planned attack on the police station. He said that the attackers had entered the police station by climbing the main gate and boundary wall and were carrying sticks, iron rods and other weapons. “Their common objective was to cause fatal injury and murder to the policemen on duty,” he said.

He also told that he immediately returned to the police station, where Major Sharma allegedly assaulted him. According to the FIR, the army personnel allegedly tore Kotach’s uniform and also assaulted sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Vijay Kumar Bhagat, who had reached the spot.

The SHO said that the accused army personnel also brutally assaulted the policemen deployed at the spot with a common criminal intention. He said that Special Police Officer Suresh Kumar was hit on the neck with the butt of his service rifle, causing serious injuries. He said several other policemen on duty were also injured in the “unprovoked attack”.

The FIR also states that the Army personnel also assaulted Kishtwar’s Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) and his personal security officers inside the police station. According to the FIR, the attackers also caused extensive damage to government and public property, including damaging official vehicles of ARTOs, vehicles of SDPOs and SHOs and breaking the main gate of the police station.

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