Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Oct 8: At least 10 police personnel including Station House Officer (SHO) Surankote and about half a dozen civilians were injured in a clash between policemen and violent mob during strong protest on Jammu-Poonch highway at Potha village in Surankote today.
The police had to lob at least a dozen teargas shells to disperse the mob and clear the highway, amidst strong resistance and stoning by the villagers. The movement of vehicular traffic remained stalled on this busy highway for about five hours.
SSP Poonch J S Johar and Deputy Commissioner, Nissar Ahmed Wani had to rush to the spot sensing trouble while an Army officer of the rank of Brigadier also reached there along with Armymen to mediate and defuse the tension. The people raised slogans against SDPO Surankote Riaz Tantray and SHO Charanjeet Singh and demanded their immediate transfer. They alleged that police was harassing them after a rape accused escape from their custody in Surankote area while being shifted from Poonch Jail to court at Surankote about two weeks back.
Sources said that a police party from Surankote Police Station went to Potha area to arrest one rape accused Imtiaz Ahmed who had escaped from police custody about a fortnight back. The police party came under attack from family members and relatives of the accused. Amidst stone pelting the accused managed to escape while 2-3 cops were injured in stoning. The police party then detained Naib Sarpanch Alam Hussain and his three sons in Surankote police station in this connection.
In the morning, a large number of people of the area including relatives and family members of the detained persons came out on Jammu-Poonch highway at Potha near Surankote and raised barricades at around 6.45 am. They sat on dharna and stalled the movement of vehicles on the road. The Army convoy also remained stranded on the highway for long. The villagers alleged that police was harassing them and they also arrested Naib Sarpanch Alam Gussain and his three sons-Shafiq Ahmed, Nissar Ahmed and Khalil Ahmed, a TA jawan, who had come on leave at home.
The SHO Surankote Charanjeet Singh along with some force reached the spot and they tried to clear the road but the mob turned violent and resorted to heavy stone pelting. Charanjit Singh received stone injury on his nose and started bleeding. SDPO Surankote, Riaz Tantray along with reinforcement reached there after some time. The police also had to lob teargas shells to clear the highway but the people continued stoning on the cops raising slogans against them and demanded release of four detained persons. They also burnt tyres on the road and continued raising slogans against police.
Then DC and SSP Poonch rushed to the site. A senior Army officer had also arrived there. He talked to the agitating villagers and then he also discussed the issue with DC, NA Wani. The villagers demanded shifting of SDPO and SHO and inquiry into the matter. The DC assured them that an impartial inquiry would be held. The people then lifted dharna and cleared the road at around 12.15 pm. With the intervention of DC, the four civilians were also hospitalized.
Naib Sarpanch Alam Hussain said that he had no relation with the accused party but on the instance of police he had come out for mediation and had managed surrender of the rape accused Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh, son of Abdul Gani of the same village. The accused managed to escape from the police custody recently and now some policemen from Surankote were exerting pressure on him to ensure his re-arrest or surrender. He claimed that last night police party barged into their house and took him to police station along with his three sons and they also abused and thrashed ladies when they tried to stop. He alleged that they were thrashed by policemen who also alleged that they were involved in stoning and helped the accused to escape.
SSP Poonch, J S Johar when contacted said that police party from Surankote received information that accused Imtiaz Ahmed, wanted in rape and murder of 85 year-old woman had come at home and they organised operation to nab him. When the police party reached their house at around 10 pm last night, the family members and relatives attacked police party and resorted to stone pelting. He said some cops were injured in the attack and the accused managed to escape taking cover of maize crop fields.
Mr Johar said today morning, the villagers sat on highway at Potha and started protest. It was part of pressure tactics of the villagers to shield the wanted accused and nothing else. He denied arrest or detention of any person in this connection but said that police was doing its job and some people tried to create hurdles and take law in their hands. Some people involved in attack on police have been identified and action will be taken against them. Mr Singh said 10 cops including SHO have been injured and two of them have been referred to GMC Jammu. He alleged that relatives of the accused were not cooperating with the police and it will do its job as per law.
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