Kishtwar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered a case against several Indian Army personnel, including a commanding officer, for allegedly storming a police station in Kishtwar district, brutally assaulting police staff, and damaging public property. The Indian Army responded on Thursday, stating that the matter is under evaluation through institutional mechanisms and promising strict action based on the findings of a joint investigation.
The high-handed incident reportedly occurred at the Atholi police station on Wednesday after a local police team intercepted and seized a private vehicle belonging to an Army official over traffic violations. According to the First Information Report (FIR), a group of 30 to 40 personnel from the 17 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Camp in Kijayee scaled the main gate and boundary wall of the station while the Station House Officer (SHO), Inspector Amrit Kotach, was away at an official meeting. Armed with iron rods and lathis, the soldiers allegedly launched an unprovoked, pre-planned assault with the common intention to cause fatal injuries to the on-duty policemen.
The complaint states that when the SHO and Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Vijay Kumar Bhagat rushed back to the scene, they were physically assaulted, and the inspector’s uniform was torn. A Special Police Officer, Suresh Kumar, sustained serious neck injuries after being struck with the butt of a service rifle. The attackers also targeted the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) of Kishtwar and his security team inside the premises, besides vandalizing the official vehicles of the transport officer, the SDPO, and the SHO.
The accused face serious charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including unlawful assembly, rioting, criminal trespass, attempt to murder, and assault on public servants, alongside provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The FIR names 17 RR Commanding Officer Colonel N Arun Gandhi, Major Vikash Sharma, Naib Subedar Shankar Gurkhe, and four sepoy-rank soldiers alongside other unidentified personnel. Jammu-based Army PRO Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal assured full cooperation with the legal process, noting that further commentary would be premature while joint inquiries remain actively underway.
