Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested three people on Thursday after the Central Reserve Police Force filed an FIR claiming that one of its jawans were assaulted. The case was registered in connection with a video that purportedly shows a jawan being assaulted during the bye-elections to the Srinagar parliamentary constituency on April 9.
Earlier in the day, CRPF Inspector General Ravideep Singh Sahi had said that investigations had confirmed the authenticity of the video. “We have identified the company of the force involved,” he said, adding that the incident had taken place in the Chadoora Assembly segment’s Kralpora locality, Budgam district.
In multiple videos of the violence being shared on social media, a mob can be seen assaulting a jawan, while CRPF personnel are not seen retaliating.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has promised stern action against those involved in the episode. “This is a very unfortunate incident. It is noteworthy how jawans were patient,” Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed grave concern over the clip and said he had spoken to the CRPF chief, and “the issue will be sorted out soon”. CRPF Director General Sudeep Lakhtakia said, “We will see that the morale of CRPF men is not hurt.”
Commenting on the violence that took place on April 6, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said not all stone-pelters were the same. “There are many stone-pelters who are probably government-paid. They resort to stone-pelting so people do not come out and vote. You have to investigate that. Do not paint everybody with the same brush,” he said, according to PTI.
Abdullah also appreciated the CRPF jawan who maintained his calm while being assaulted. “He avoided the situation that could have turned nasty,” he added.
Meanwhile, cricketers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag stirred up a controversy after they came out in support of the officers. “For every slap on my Army’s jawan, lay down at least a 100 jihadi lives. Whoever wants Azadi LEAVE NOW! Kashmir is ours. #kashmirbelongs2us,” Gambhir tweeted. Sehwag asked for the “rot” to stop. “Badtameezi ki hadd hai,” he said.
Actor Anupam Kher also condemned the incident and posted a message on social media. “What is even more shameful is that some people are trying to cover up the crimes of the youth in the Valley under the shroud of human rights, saying they are misled,” he said, adding that it was time to “expose all those pseudo-intellectuals”.
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