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J&K shelling victim’s son fears he may be booked for sedition for criticising central govt

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Samba resident Puneet allegedly shouted ‘anti-national’ slogans at his father’s funeral, claims he died due to lack of proper healthcare facilities.

Kamore camp, Samba (Jammu): Samba resident Puneet Choudhary (22), who allegedly hurled abuses at the local legislator and raised slogans against the central government after he lost his father in Pakistani shelling, now fears he could face sedition charges for the same.

The incident took place in Ramgarh sector in Jammu’s Samba area last month. Police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons under section 124A (sedition) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), which applies to only Jammu and Kashmir.

Puneet, a college student, claimed his father Suresh Kumar Choudhary (55), an ex-serviceman, died due to lack of adequate medical facilities, for which he and his brother blamed the government. This is the reason behind their angry outburst at the legislator and the central government, he said.

The incident

On the night of 18 January, Puneet and his parents were in their house when the shelling started.

“It was around 2 am when the shelling attack started. We sat in our living room after we heard the noise,” Puneet recalled. “My father suggested we take shelter in our store room on the rear side of our house.”

But luck wasn’t on their side. “Splinters pierced the glass window of store room and hit my father’s head. The living room remained untouched,” he said, adding that he too, sustained grievous injuries on his back.

The ‘double ceiling’, built to give extra safeguard against such an attack, also gave in, he said.

“With the shelling on, we were scared of moving out of our house. My father was bleeding profusely. We took out our car and admitted him to the local hospital,” Puneet said.

“For about two weeks we were shifting hospitals for better medical facilities but didn’t get help from anyone. Finally, we drove him to a hospital in Amritsar,” he said.

Although Choudhary was operated upon, he succumbed to his head injuries on 5 February. He had been a soldier for 20 years, before taking up a teacher’s job. Local politicians had since then visited the family, to offer condolences.

On his funeral the next day, Puneet and his elder brother who works with the armed forces in Srinagar, couldn’t control their emotions. They allegedly raised slogans against the government and the local legislators saying that they have not done enough for the locals there.

“We were upset. Our father could have been saved if there were sound medical facilities available. What do you expect in such a situation?” Puneet asked.

According to the FIR, some “unidentified persons” tried to provoke public servants present at the funeral and tried to create trouble and used slogans against the government.

A police officer said they are investigating the case.

Shelling incidents on rise

At least 100 families live in Kamore camp and its surrounding areas which are vulnerable to shelling from the Pakistani side. Most of them are refugees from the Chamb area, and have been since staying in the camp here since 1965.

Locals say there has been a drastic rise in shelling by Pakistani troops in the past three or four years.

“Earlier, we used to hear about stray firing incidents, but in the past three years, shelling attacks are a routine affair. It usually starts at night and sometime continues through morning,” Deepak Choudhary, a local resident.

Residents say they are sometimes asked to shift to another place on a temporary basis if shelling continues.

But leaving this place for good is not an option for them.

“My father spent all his life’s savings to build this house. Where else can we go? Who will buy our house now,” Puneet asked.

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