The injured policemen have been shifted to a hospital
Highlights
- Dozens of armymen beat up policemen in Ganderbal after argument: Police
- FIR filed against armymen for attacking policemen on duty
- Former chief minister Omar Abdullah demands action against the armymen
Eight policemen including an Assistant Sub Inspector were injured after dozens of armymen barged into a police station in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district and beat them up late last night, police said.
The injured policemen have been moved to a hospital and an FIR has been registered against the armymen for attacking a police station and thrashing policemen on duty.
The pictures from the hospital show policemen with multiple injuries.
The scuffle allegedly broke out after a team of armymen in civilian clothes, returning from the Amarnath Yatra last night, was stopped at a barricade in Gund by policemen as no pilgrims are allowed to travel during the night after the recent terror attack on Amarnath Yatris in which eight were killed.
Police said the armymen in civilian clothes insisted to move and thrashed the cops but police didn't let them go.
"We informed the Commanding Officer of a nearby Army camp that he should take these jawans to his camp for the night" said a police officer. "But suddenly troops came and stormed a police station in Gund, beat up cops, ransacked everything that came in their way. Even police records were also damaged," he said.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Munir Ahmad Khan, however, tried to downplay the incident. "No policeman has been injured. There was some altercation between policemen and Army," he said. "I have already spoken to top army authorities and they are ordering a court of inquiry into the incident," said Mr Khan.
The Army said it had "amicably" resolved the issue with the police arising over the incident and termed it as a "minor altercation". A defence spokesperson said measures had been taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah demanded action against the armymen involved in the incident. "Why would the army beat up J&K police personnel in a police station? This requires immediate clarification/action by the authorities," Mr Abdullah wrote on Twitter.