Srinagar, October 31, 2012: At least 20 civilians were ruthlessly thrashed and critically injured by a group of Indian troops in Baramulla district, prompting police to file an FIR against the erring army personnel. The Indian army on Wednesday beating civilians after disembarking them from vehicles. Police sources said that the FIR was lodged after nearly two-dozen people approached the Police Station Baramulla and said that Indian army men beat them near the office of Public Health Engineering (PHE) without any provocation.
The incident took place in the wee hours Wednesday on 31 Oct when the personnel belonging to Indian army’s 46 Rashtriya Rifles intercepted many vehicles at army check-post near Kanthbagh near PHE Office at Khawaja Bagh on Baramulla-Srinagar highway; police sources and eyewitnesses told media men.
“At least 20 people, who were travelling in many vehicles, were beaten up by the soldiers who were dead drunk. Later 13 people were shifted to a local hospital for treatment,” the eyewitness said. “Indian troopers also snatched money from some drivers.”
Of the injured, 10 belong to Bombay Hi Gas Agency and two work in the Animal Husbandry Department, they said.
Shabir Ahmad, manager of the gas agency, said he was going to the company headquarters at Deleuna in Baramulla. “At about 3 am, dozens of Indian army personnel intercepted our three vehicles (a Maruti car bearing No. JK04B/7411, a Scorpio JK01J/6096 and a Bolero JK05C/6422) near PHE Office and thrashed us without any reason,” Shabir said.
Some of injured persons identified as employees of the gas agency as: Noor Mohammad Chopan and his elder brother Ghulam Mohammad Chopan (sons of Ghulam Mohiuddin of Tangmarg, Baramulla) Tariq Ahmad, son of Noor Mohammad Parray of Chanpora, Srinagar, and Riyaz Ahmad, son of Abdul Razaq Wani of Doletpora, Kreeri Baramulla. They were later shifted to district hospital Baramulla for treatment.
“All the army men were dead drunk and beat us with sticks, bricks and stones,” Shabir added.
Farooq Ahmad Mugal, an employee of the Animal Husbandry Department Baramulla, said he was on way to Srinagar when army men stopped the car. “I and my colleague Syed Tariq Hussain Qadri were cruelly thrashed by the soldiers,” Mugal told media men
Other injured included a tipper driver Manzoor Ahmad Dar of Uri. He said two tippers (bearing registration numbers JK05C/1790 and JK05C/2328) loaded with gypsum were going to Srinagar when they were stopped by the Indian armed forces. “Our three associates managed to escape from the spot but I and another driver Arif Hussain Dar of Jal Sheeri were brutally thrashed by the Indian troops,” Manzoor said. “Later a Sumo driver removed us to the hospital,” he added.
A senior doctor at district hospital Baramulla said that 13 people were brought there in injured condition. “Among them six were released after first aid but seven were admitted. They have external and internal wounds,” the doctor said.
Some injured persons said the Indian army men led by Major stopped some passenger and private vehicles near PHE office at Khawaja Bagh on Baramulla-Srinagar highway and asked passengers to disembark.
As they disembarked, the army men started thrashing passengers. They said that army men beat up passengers ruthlessly with their guns and bamboo lathis, injuring over a dozen persons.
“When we got released we straightway rushed to the police station Baramulla and lodged complaint against them,” said some of the injured persons.
Some of the injured persons were identified as Noor Mohammad Chopan, Ghulam Mohammad Chopan of Tangmarg and employees of Bombay Gas Agency. Tariq Ahmad Parray, Riyaz Ahmad Wani, Syed Tariq Hussain Qadri, Farooq Ahmad Mughal, Mehrrajudin Teli, Farooq Ahmad Dar and Manzoor Ahmad.
Meanwhile, police has registered a FIR No. 234/2012 under sections 392 (robbery), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and started investigations, a senior police officer said. However, no arrests have been made so far, he said.
“We have received a complaint from people who accused some army personnel of beating them without any provocation. We lodged an FIR under number 234 under section 392, 341, 323 RPC against unknown army persons,” said the police official, wishing not to be named.
The police official said that as many as ten persons have received injuries in head and other parts of his body. “We admitted them in District Hospital Baramulla,” the official added. He said the investigations have been started to know the army unit responsible for the incident.
The soldiers stopped three vehicles near the check-post and reportedly thrashed the travelers ruthlessly without assigning any reason.
The victims included three employees of Animal Husbandry Department Baramulla. They have been identified as Tariq Hussain Qadri, Farooq Ahmad Magloo and Muhammad Sayed Najar.
“We were heading for Srinagar in a departmental vehicle to get poultry birds for Baramulla. As we reached near army check-post Kanthbagh, we were stopped by soldiers. Despite showing our identity cards, the Indian troops who were probably drunk start thrashing us without any reason," said Tariq Hussain Qadri, who was admitted in the district hospital Baramulla.
“All the army-men who thrashed us were drunk. They beat us with sticks, bricks and stones without any rhyme and reason,” added another injured person.
An employee of Animal Husbandry Department, Baramulla, Farooq Ahmad Muga said, “We were heading towards Srinagar in our vehicle (JK019-0507) and at around 3:30 am army-men stopped us. The troopers pounced upon me and my colleague Syeed Tariq Hussain Qadri and beat us ruthlessly.”
A tipper driver Manzoor Ahmad Dar, resident of Uri, told media-persons that two tipper vehicles (JK05C-1790 and JK05C-2328) carrying gypsum were on way to Srinagar when troopers stopped them and thrashed them without any reason.
“Indian Army stopped us and thrashed us badly,” Dar said. He said another tipper driver Arif Hussain was also beaten.
Another person Mehraj Ahmad Teli was also injured. A senior doctor from District Hospital Baramulla told reporters that 13 persons with both external and internal injuries were hospitalized. He said six injured persons were discharged after first-aid treatment.
Meanwhile, police has registered an FIR (no. 234/2012) in Police Station Baramulla under section 392, 341, 323 RPC and started investigations, a senior police officer told media men