J&K Police allege attack by Army inside station

A Commanding Officer of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Unit stationed in the Kishtwar district of the Jammu division has been booked by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with over three dozen army personnel, for allegedly trespassing into the premises of Police Station Atholi and attacking policemen.

The attack allegedly took place shortly after a police party intercepted and seized a private vehicle owned by an Army official for traffic violations. According to the FIR, filed by the Station House Officer, Inspector Amrit Kotach, he received a call informing him about the assault within the premises of the police station under the direct instructions of Commanding Officer N Arun Gandhi of 17 RR, when he was away attending a meeting with the deputy commissioner.

The FIR names Colonel Gandhi, Major Sharma, Naib Subedar Gurkhe, Sepoys Raj Kumar, Rahul Kumar, Anoop Singh and Omkar Ingale, and unidentified Army personnel of the 17 RR camp as accused. It claims, around 30 to 40 personnel from 17 RR, Camp Kijayee, led by Major Vikash Sharma and Naib Subedar Shankar Gurkhe, launched an attack after scaling the main gate and boundary wall of the police station. They were armed with lathis, iron rods and other weapons, he added. “Their common intention was to cause fatal injuries and kill the police personnel on duty,” he said, adding that he rushed back to the station and was allegedly physically assaulted by Major Sharma.

A Jammu-based Army PRO, Lt Col Suneel Barthwal, told The Pioneer that the matter is being probed.

“The matter pertains to an FIR registered by the local police in Atholi, Kishtwar. The matter is under examination through the appropriate institutional mechanisms. The Indian Army will extend full cooperation in the legal process. Appropriate actions will be taken based on the outcome of the joint investigation. At this stage, it would be premature to comment further while the investigations are in progress,” he said.

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 also reached the spot. Katoch further alleges Special Police Officer Suresh Kumar was struck on the neck with the butt of a service rifle, resulting in serious injuries to him. He claimed several other police personnel on duty also sustained injuries during the unprovoked assault.

The FIR also alleges that the Army personnel assaulted the assistant regional transport officer (ARTO) of Kishtwar and his personal security officers inside the police station. The attackers also caused extensive damage to government and public property, vandalising the official vehicle of the ARTO, vehicles of the SDPO and the SHO, and breaking down the main gate of the police station, the FIR said.