Budgam, June 09: Six persons including a woman were injured after a police party swooped in Tekipora village of Budgam and thrashed some tipper drivers on Saturday.
Irked by the police action, which residents alleged was uncalled for, the locals took to streets today and protested against the “police high-handedness.
“I was beaten to pulp despite of possessing permission to transport soil. Police thrashed me without listening to me,” Aijaz Ahmad, a tipper driver said.
He added that another driver Imtiyaz Ahmad who came to his rescue, was also beaten.
“I wanted to rescue Aijaz, but I was also thrashed,” Imtiyaz said.
Both Aijaz and Imtiyaz had injury marks on arms and their clothes were torn. Both victims said that while seizing one of the vehicles, police personnel rapped a tipper into the compound wall of a house.
A group of women said that three among them had a narrow escape when the wall broke down.
After the incident, locals blocked the Budgam-Beerwah road and raised anti-police slogans.
Witnesses said that clashes erupted at around 10 am today at Takipora when police party led by Station House Officer (SHO) Budgam resorted to intense tear gas shelling “without any provocation”.
“We were having peaceful protests. But police came and fired numerous tear gas shells towards us, resulting in injuries to four people including a woman,” they said.
Besides two tipper drivers, the other injured were identified as Riyaz Ahmad, Mohammad Amin, Bashir Ahmad and a woman named Safiya. They were taken to different hospitals for treatment.
Soon after the incident, MLA Budgam Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi reached Tekipora where he was briefed about the incident by the locals.
“Instead of maintaining law and order and providing security to the people, police has resorted to hooliganism and is trampling the law,” the MLA alleged.
While demanding the transfer of SHO Police Station Budgam, NC legislator told Budgam SSP Tejinder Singh, who was accompanying the MLA to initiate action against the concerned SHO.
Locals allege that police is extorting money from the tipper operators for allowing them to ply in the area. “While those who do not have permissions are encouraged in lieu of money, those who have permissions are unnecessarily harassed,” they allege.
Tipper owners and drivers also accused police of having snatched their mobile phones and seizing vehicles unnecessarily. “Those who are having permission to operate are also being forced to pay hefty amounts in return of vehicles and mobile phones,” they added.
Meanwhile, SSP Budgam assured the angry people of proper enquiry into the incident. Singh said that if the allegations (against SHO) are correct, he will held accountable.
