In a recent escalation of tensions between security forces in the volatile region of Kashmir, an incident involving the alleged abduction of a Jammu and Kashmir Police head constable and assault on four other officials by an Army unit has sparked outrage.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday night in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, reportedly began with the detention of a local territorial army soldier for questioning in connection with an unspecified case. This action by the police led to a confrontation between the army unit and the station house officer at the Kupwara police station, according to The Wire.
A grainy CCTV footage that circulated on social media depicted a group of armed army soldiers forcefully removing a man, purportedly a police official, from the police station. The footage also captured one of the soldiers repeatedly assaulting the detained man while others provided cover.
According to sources, the altercation escalated when the army officer allegedly misbehaved with the station house officer, leading to a scuffle inside the police station. As a result, four police officials identified as constables Zahoor Ahmad and Saleem Mushtaq, and special police officers Rayees Khan and Imtiyaz Ahmad Malik were assaulted. They were taken to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar for treatment. The victims' condition is currently reported as stable.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Kupwara police station remains inaccessible as many police personnel had their phones either confiscated or destroyed by the army soldiers. This disruption in communication has hindered normal operations, forcing authorities to resort to manual document exchanges.
The situation took a turn when head constable Ghulam Rasool was abducted from the police station by the army unit. It was only after the intervention of senior officers from both the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police that Rasool was eventually freed on Wednesday, reportedly in exchange for the release of the detained territorial army soldier.
The police have filed an FIR against the Army unit, slapping serious charges, including attempted murder, abduction, and robbery, among others, against the army unit involved in the incident.
However, the Srinagar-based defence spokesperson has denied the allegations, describing the incident as a "minor altercation" over an operational matter that was amicably resolved, said The Wire report.
The clash between army and police personnel in Kashmir is not unprecedented. Similar incidents have occurred in the past, highlighting the complex dynamics and simmering tensions between various security agencies operating in the region.
In 2017, eight police personnel were injured in a similar altercation with army vehicles at a checkpoint in Ganderbal district, prompting a probe whose outcome remains undisclosed.