The police in Kashmir have registered a FIR against a Rashtriya Rifles (RR) unit of the Army after some soldiers in civvies allegedly thrashed six policemen and ransacked a police post in the Ganderbal district late on Friday night.

This is the second FIR in a single day registered against the Army by the Kashmir police. Earlier, during the day a FIR was registered against the Army when a stone pelter was killed in firing by the troops at a crowd that allegedly tried to snatch their weapons in Beerwa.

Police claimed that more than 30 soldiers of the 24 battalion of RR barged into the Gund police post and after beating the cops on duty, including an assistant sub-inspector of police, ransacked the police post.

Police tweeted that the DGP SP Vaid has taken up the incident with the Corps Commander who is looking into it and has assured action.

Spokesman of the Army, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said “a minor altercation took place yesterday night between some Army personnel returning from Amarnath Yatra in civil dress and JKP personnel at Gund.  No major injuries were suffered in the incident and the matter has been resolved by personal intervention of senior officers. Measures to prevent recurrence have been taken”.

Separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq interpreted the incident his own way by claiming “sad to hear about the severe beating of Kashmiri policemen by Army, by virtue of being Kashmiri even those who aid state oppression not spared !”.

Police said that “during the night intervening July 21 and 22, a group of 30 personnel of 24 RR in civvies travelling in four vehicles forcibly sped from the naka point established by police station, Sonamarg, at poney stand”.

“These vehicles were carrying the Army personnel who were coming back after Amarnath. Due to the already issued cut off timing and present circumstance it was not feasible to allow the yatris after cut off time. The naka party of the Police Station Gund (Ganderbal) headed by ASI Ghulam Rasool stopped the said vehicles as per the directions,” the statement said.

However, the Army men in civvies without showing any identification came down from the vehicles and started thrashing the on-duty officer and other officials, resulting in injuries to said ASI.

“After that the Army parties of COB Gund and COB Surfraw 24 RR headed by Captain Shukla along with the personnel in civvies entered in Police Station Gund and thrashed and injured all the police personnel present and damaged some records of the police station and also some belongings of officials,” the statement added. A FIR has been registered under various Sections of the RPC.