Kulgam: Army let loose a reign of terror in a South Kashmir village on Wednesday night, residents Kulpora villagers alleged.
The Army personnel from 9 Rashtriya Rifles stationed at Ashmoji Camp emerged in the Kulpora village of Kulgam district and according to residents they went on rampage abusing, kicking, thrashing and dragging people out from their houses. The Army even didnt spare old men and women while an octogenarian Ghulam Hasan Dar was continuously thrashed till he lost his conscience.
Talking to news agency CNS, the locals of Kolapora who held a massive demonstration at Sarandoh village said Army tortured locals on the behest of their non-local informer who was not only asked by villagers to leave the area but against whom people had also lodged a complaint in police station accusing him of immoral activities, drug addiction and eve-teasing.
Ram Pal, an Auto-mobile driver from Haryana was living in a rented house from past several months. Morally degraded Ram Pal frequently used to pass lewd comments on women fold and later on it dawned upon us that he was an Army Informer on whose behest, 9 RR cordoned off the hamlet several times, the protesters told CNS.
Two days ago this morally corrupts and teetotaler driver from Haryana tried to molest a girl in the village. We lodged a complaint in police station Kulgam and requested Police to arrest him. As he came to know about that Police action, he hid himself in the Army camp, they said.
The protesters added that as the night approached a large contingent of Army appeared in the village. We cant tell you, what they did to us. They were drunk who even didnt spare old and women. They smashed windowpanes of houses, beat people to pulp, ransacked houses and caused heavy damage to parked vehicles. They even barged into local Masjid and thrashed couple of youth who were on Aitikaaf (an Islamic practice consisting of a period of staying in a Masjid for 10 days) they said.
The octogenarian Ghulam Hasan Dar who was shivering with fear said that they (Army men) almost tried to kill him when they found other family members not present in the house.
The videos of victims beaten to pulp by Army went viral on social media, inviting criticism from common people.
The hooliganism and barbarism depicted by these Army men sparked protest in the area while people demanded an FIR should be lodged against the Commandant of 9 RR and guilty personnel should be arrested. Deputy Commissioner Kulgam directed police to investigate the matter and book the culprits under law. Station House Officer Kulgam Muzaffar Ahmed said that on the basis of complaint received from the villagers, they have arrested the non-local driver. We are investigating the matter and so for we have not registered any case against the Army, he said.
Srinagar based Army spokesperson termed all the allegations baseless.
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