Villagers attack police with stones, lathis; 3 cops injured

Excelsior Correspondent
MENDHAR, Feb 18:  Three police constables were seriously injured when they were attacked by villagers with stones and lathis at Kas Baladi in Uchhad area of Mendhar in district Poonch last night.
Official sources said that a police party from Mendhar Police Station  went to remote Kas Baladi village to arrest  three persons wanted in a theft case.  It was around  10.30 pm that when policemen reached the village covering some distance on foot, the villagers who had already received information suddenly attacked the cops with stones and lathis.
While five of them managed to escape, three others were trapped by the cops and mercilessly beaten up by the villagers with lathis, kicks and blows.  As they turned unconscious, the villagers left them  near the Kutcha road, realising that they are dead.
The other cops, contacted SDPO Mendhar, Shahid Nahim, who along with Incharge SHO, SI Shabir Ahmed and a  strong force reached the village at around 3 am and shifted the seriously injured cops to Sub District Hospital Mendhar. Most of the male members of the village had gone underground when the police party raided during early hours.
The SDPO said that three cops injured were identified as Mohd Razak, Mohd Nassir and Abdul Majid. Mohd Razak’s ribs have been broken and he has also received multiple internal injuries. He was refereed  to District Hospital Rajouri. He further said that three accused persons  including a CISF constable have been identified. They are Mohd Iqbal, son of Faiz Mohd; Mohd Shakeel, son of Mohd Rafiq  and Sajjad Ahmed- constable. A case FIR No. 23, under sections 353/336 and 34 RPC has been registered against the accused persons.  At least 30 villagers were involved in attack on police. He said that DIG and SSP have also taken serious note of the matter and all the accused will be behind the bars shortly.