Police on Wednesday said it has filed a case against eight army personnel for assaulting three men in a forest area of Ramban district.
The three men, residents of Mahu village of Ramban, were passing by the Rana village when they were beaten by the eight army personnel after a brief argument, PD Nitya, Superintendent of Police, Ramban, told The Kashmir Walla.
“Yesterday we received information through the sarpanch that three men from their village were passing through Rana village when eight army men had an argument with them and they beat the three men,” the official said.
The three injured men were identified as Mohammad Rafiq, Bilal Ahmad and Abdul Rasheed, who were beaten by the soldiers when they were going to the Upper Trana forest area to purchase cattle.
The sarpanch also alleged that their belongings including mobile phones and some cash were stolen by the army personnel.
After being brought to the police station, one of the men had fallen unconscious while the other two had also suffered serious injuries and were then admitted to a nearby hospital, she said. “We took them to the hospital and then we enquired in the area after that,” said Nitya.
Based on evidence, said Nitya, a cognizable offence — an offence in which a police officer has the authority to make an arrest without a warrant and to start an investigation with or without the permission of a court — had happened. “Based on that we registered the First Information Report (FIR),” Nitya told The Kashmir Walla.
The FIR – number 128/2021 – has been filed under IPC’s sections 341 – punishment for wrongful restraint; 323 – punishment for voluntarily causing hurt; 382 – theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft; and 147 – punishment for rioting.
The police, however, are yet to record the statements of the complainants as they are not fit for giving the statement at present, said Nitya. “After proper investigation, notice will be served to them and the legal process will be done,” she added.
