Srinagar:
Army jawans in uniform and with weapons led by a Colonel attacked a railway police station in Kashmir and injured six policemen on Monday night.
The jawans, numbering 35, belong to the 225 field regiment stationed at Janglote in the Kathua district.
The reason for the attack was apparently an argument between one of the jawans, was heading home on leave, and a railway policeman. The jawan had allegedly unplugged the metal detector installed at the railway station to charge his mobile phone. When the policemen objected to this, an altercation ensued between them after which the Army jawan was taken to the police station.
On getting information about the incident, the jawan's colleagues, including some officers, reached the police station and allegedly went on a rampage, the officials said. They also took away the jawan with them.
They beat several of the policemen, one of whom is critical.
Others waiting at the station, fearing injuries, ran away in panic, police sources said.
"We asked the Army jawan that let us sit and talk, but the Army jawans cordoned the police station and picked up our munshi at gun point and took him to his unit. All the Army jawans came to the station with weapons, this crated a lot of panic there, all the passengers ran helter-skelter, the railway staff also ran away. The local shopkeepers say such a state of panic was created that they closed the shops and ran away, the station had reached a point, that seemed that there will be firing now, six of our policemen were injured, one of them is critical, the Army men who had come there also included senior officers," said Shiv Kumar Khajuria, Senior Superintendent of Police, Government Railway Police, Kathua.
Cases have been registered against the Armymen for allegedly beating up and injuring the cops, police officials said.
The Army has refused to comment on the matter so far.
(
With PTI inputs)