‘Damaged vehicles and residential houses’
DC orders probe
Scores of people Friday staged a protest outside District Development Commissioner’s office in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district accusing Indian troopers of CRPF from 18 Battalion of damaging more than 50 private vehicles and residential houses in the dead of the night.
The protesters who parked the damaged vehicles outside DC office alleged that scores of CRPF personnel from nearby 18 Battalion camp went on rampage on Thursday night and damaged the vehicles parked on roads as well as inside the residential houses. “The CRPF personnel patrolled right from their camp to CP Branch and later moved to Hospital Road, damaging all the parked vehicles. They also barged into the houses and beat up inmates. These CRPF personnel seemed to be drunk who even didn’t spare elderly men and women. Whosoever tried to resist their action was ruthlessly beaten up. Some people fled from their houses to save themselves from the wrath of these men,” the protesters told CNS.
“It was a hell like situation. We informed Deputy Commissioner Kulgam at the very moment but no one came forward to save us from these ‘unbridled’ gunmen,” said a protester Arshid Ahmed Ganaie whose new branded vehicle had been badly damaged in CRPF action.
The owners of the damaged vehicles drove their vehicles to mini-secretariat and apprised District Development Commissioner Kulgam about the incident. DC assured them of action and compensation. Deputy Commissioner Kulgam, Dr Syed Abid told CNS that he has constituted an inquiry committee to probe the matter and this committee will be headed by ADC Kulgam. “I had received the call from the people at midnight who informed about the incident. I immediately contacted Station House Officer Kulgam to look into the matter,” he said adding that the affected people will surely be compensated and whosoever is responsible for the act will be taken to task.
Meanwhile, Commandant CRPF 18 Battalion, Ankesh Kumar told CNS that the allegations are baseless and no CRPF jawan from his camp is involved in the act.
