Soldiers thrash Jammu and Kashmir policemen, Army plays down incident

The injured cops were admitted to a hospital in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. Pics/PTI

Seven policemen, including an assistant sub-inspector, were allegedly thras­hed by Army personnel after the cops stopped private vehicles carrying the soldiers in civil clothes on Friday evening at a checkpost in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district.

The police registered a case against the personnel attached to the 24 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) unit of the Army. J&K DGP SP Vaid took up the matter with the Corps Commander of the Army's Chinar Corps, Lieu­tenant General JS Sandhu.

The incident
The incident took place when private vehicles, carrying Ar­my personnel in civil clothes, were returning from the Baltal base camp of the yatra and were signalled to stop at the Sonamarg checkpost. But, the vehicles did not stop. "Cops at Gund were informed and they stopped the vehicle as the cut-off time for yatra vehicles had already passed. But the soldiers called their colleagues from the 24RR, who thrashed the policemen," an officer said.

According to eyewitness' accounts, locals came to the rescue of the cops.

Army version
A defence spokesperson said, "A minor altercation took place between some Army personnel returning from the Amarnath yatra in civil dress and J&K police personnel at Gund. There was no major injury and the matter has been resolved by the personal intervention of senior officers."

Former CM Omar Abdullah has demanded action against the Army.