CRPF jawan assault video: J&K police arrests five persons

The DGP said an FIR has also been lodged after a video surfaced in which an ITBP personnel was seen shooting right in the head of a stone-pelting protester outside a polling station in same area. “A case has been registered in connection with that incident also. It is a matter of investigation and action will be taken against whoever is found guilty,” the DGP added.

In the video, Kashmiri youths are seen abusing, heckling and assaulting CRPF jawans while they were returning carrying EVM machines after their elections duty. The jawans, however, were seen using immense restraint even when they were attacked by the angry mob.

“We strongly condemn this act. We have initiated investigation into this matter and as far as I know few people have already been arrested,” Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said. The latest development came after the CRPF registered a FIR against the culprits.

The CRPF had earlier said the video was authentic and the incident happened in Kralpora area in the Chadoora assembly segment in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. “All those involved in the act will be punished. An FIR has been lodged and some youths have been arrested,” Singh had said on Wednesday.

He also lauded the army and other security forces for maintaining discipline desite being atatcked by the mob. “The jawan had gun in his hands and he could have done anything when he was being insulted. But he kept calm and maintained high discipline,” the Deputy CM said. “It is a condemnable act. The state government will take stern action and all such elements will be punished,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Mehbooba Mufti today said the “failure” of the previous Omar Abdullah government to deal with the issue of stone-pelting had led to the unrest last year and the situation in the Valley at present. Her remarks came as a response to National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, who had yesterday said the Mufti government was “financing stone-pelting”.

“There was no measures taken with regard to the youths, who took to the streets to hurl stones (in 2010). What steps were taken at that time to check stone-pelting? No treatment was done. It is because of the failure to take steps to treat the ailment. It churned lava (in youths), which exploded suddenly last year and till now, we have not been able to stop this,” Mehbooba said.