April 07

Amid growing allegations of atrocities against the Indian Army, The Locals of Badragund area in Qazigund area of South Kashmir’s Islamabad (anantnag) district on Sunday alleged that the Army entered the area and thrashed several people before chasing them away from a wedding party in the area.

Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, Locals of Badragund area in Qazigund alleged that the Army men deployed near the Kashmir highway thrashed a young kid namely Shahdab Najar aged 13 years, early morning on Sunday to which a man, Abdul Majeed Bhat objected, the Army also beat him to pulp.

As the news spread in the locality, hundreds of locals poured on the Kashmir highway, however locals gathered near the highway were chased by the Army men deployed there, half an hour later, the Forces entered the house of Imtiyaz Ahmed Bhat who was getting married today.

The Forces thrashed several people who had gathered for lunch in a tent in the house. “With Loud abuses and threats, the Army men thrashed several guests gathered at the wedding without any provocation,” an eyewitness told The Kashmiriyat while accusing the forces of highhandedness.

In the action of forces, many civilians received injuries, some of whom are being treated in local dispensaries and clinics due to the closure of the Kashmir highway which connects the village to the nearby hospital in Qazigund.

The areas close-by National Highway are witnessing anger and dissatisfaction over the ban imposed by the Government, however there is less expression of the same, locals said. ”people are loosing faith in everything, it is dangerous,” Abdul Rashid of Badragund told The Kashmiriyat.

”We were not told that the ban has been imposed on civilian movement too, nobody is being allowed to walk on the National highway in our area, we assumed that the ban was only on traffic,” Sheikh Taha, a Local resident told The Kashmiriyat.

However, an Army official upon being contacted rejected the allegations calling them “baseless,” A police official said that they are verifying the details.

The Police official said that they have received a similar complaint from the Locals of the area.

The State Government of Jammu Kashmir issued an order that no civilian traffic movement will be allowed on the 300-km long National Highway on Sunday and Wednesday from 4 am to 5 pm every week till May 31, 2019.

There have been accusations of excesses against the Government Forces deployed on the National Highway, two days post the Pulwama attack on 14 February in which 49 CRPF men were killed, the troopers made three men kneel down on their knees and hit their heads with gun butts.

On Tuesday, the forces thrashed a group of students which included a minor girl after they allegedly barged into a school bus and thrashed the students to pulp, also ambulances and school buses are stopped during convoy movement for hours after Indian Home Ministry passed an order to stop traffic during the convoy movement on the National Highway.

There have been allegations that many shoppers and drivers were thrashed on the 300 Kilometer long highway that connects Srinagar with Jammu. (The Kashmiriyat)