Army on Saturday allegedly beat up residents of Saderkote Bala in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Witnesses said that residents had gathered near SK Bala chowk and were protesting peacefully when the army men went berserk.
“In the meantime, army men armed with lathis started beating up locals without any provocation,” they said.
They alleged that the men from 13th RR stationed at Manasbal beat up the residents ruthlessly. An army spokesman in Srinagar, however, said their men were not active in the area. “Our men are not active in the area. We have no such inputs. I will find out and get back to you,” he said.
Five persons, including a Hurriyat activist, were booked under the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA) over their alleged role in instigating stone-pelting incidents.
A top district administration official said that the accused persons were shifted to Udhampur. The Hurriyat activist, he claimed, was also involved in “instigating” protests in 2010 unrest.
Angry protesters on Saturday beat up a school principal and vandalized the property in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. Reports said that protesters were taking part in a march when they pelted stones at the Govt Higher Secondary School in Nadihal area of the district.
Witnesses said that the protesters also beat up the school principal Abdul Rashid Malik and other staff members after finding the school open despite the shutdown call.
The injured principal was shifted to SDH Bandipora for treatment. They also damaged the school property and vandalized the Principal’s office. Authorities, it needs to be mentioned, have been allegedly forcing the employees to attend to their duties.
