New Delhi: Commanding Officer of 17 Rashtriya Rifles Colonel N Arun Gandhi, his officer Major Vikash Sharma and 30-40 other unidentified army personnel were booked for attempted murder in J&K’s Kishtwar district Wednesday after they allegedly stormed into Atholi police station armed with rifles and iron rods, assaulted a policeman and vandalised property.
The army and the police however, have varying accounts of what transpired.
The officers named in the FIR are Colonel Gandhi, Commanding Officer Sharma, and Naib Subedar Shankar Gurkhe.
According to police sources, it all started when Kishtwar’s additional superintendent of police stopped a private vehicle for rash and negligent driving along a route being taken by Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma, who was travelling from the district headquarters to Gulabgarh to attend a government function. The sources further claimed that the person at the wheel did not cooperate and instead used abusive language towards police personnel.
Police further alleged that when the driver was asked to produce the vehicle’s documents, he failed to furnish any except his driving licence, which was also found to be invalid. Subsequently, a police officer and the assistant regional transport officer (ARTO) impounded the vehicle for further verification.
“At around 11.45 am, the Kishtwar additional SP seized a vehicle for a traffic violation and because it posed a security concern. The police action did not go down well with the army personnel. Later, Major Vikas Sharma, accompanied by 30–40 army personnel, allegedly entered the (Atholi) police station, vandalised property and assaulted the station house officer (SHO),” a police officer said, on condition of anonymity.
A defence spokesperson in Jammu told ThePrint that the Indian Army will extend full cooperation in the legal process. “The matter…is currently under examination through the appropriate institutional mechanisms. Appropriate action will be taken based on the outcome of the joint investigation. At this stage, it would be premature to comment further while the investigation is underway.”
An army source, however, disputed the police’s version of events. According to the source, the police asked that the vehicle be moved because the DC’s convoy was unable to pass, after which the vehicle was taken to the police station.
The source claimed that when the commanding officer (CO) called seeking the vehicle’s release, the ARTO and the DSP (Headquarters) started to misbehave, which then led to a heated exchange.
The police, however, said that as soon as the CO called around noon to confirm that the vehicle belonged to the army and that its occupants were guests of the commander, the SHO was immediately directed to release the vehicle. It was agreed that the required documents would be produced at a later stage, they further said.
“But within 25 minutes, a group of personnel came armed with lathis to attack the station,” said a police source.
Among those allegedly assaulted were Deputy Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Bhagat Atholi SHO Amrit Katoch.
In an earlier incident reported in May 2024, armymen and police personnel had clashed inside a police station in Kupwara, triggering an FIR against three army officers and 13 of their colleagues under grievous charges, including attempt to murder and sections of the Arms Act.
‘Planned attack—came with iron rods, lathis’
According to the FIR lodged by the SHO, accessed by ThePrint, the army personnel stormed the police station when he was attending a programme chaired by the DC, and he was informed about the violence over phone.
“Under the direct instructions and commands of Commanding Officer of 17 RR N Arun Gandhi, a group of 30-40 army personnel launched a pre-planned attack,” the FIR stated.
It further read: “Having made full preparations and armed with lathis, iron rods, and arms and ammunition, the group trespassed into the premises of Atholi police station by forcefully climbing over the main gate and the boundary walls. Their common intention was to cause fatal injuries and kill the police personnel on duty. Upon receiving a call from the police station regarding the forceful entry and assault, undersigned immediately rushed back.”
It further stated that the army personnel assaulted the SHO and tore his uniform, and even attacked Atholi SDPO Vijay Kumar Bhagat.
The FIR said that the army personnel, acting with “a common criminal intention”, also brutally assaulted police personnel including SPO Suresh Kumar, who was attacked with the butt of their rifle, causing serious injuries.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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