Army attacks police in India, attempts to kill officers by tearin

A case has been filed against 40 army personnel, including a colonel and a major, for attacking police personnel and vandalizing a police station in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.

In the FIR filed, the police have named Colonel N. Arun Gandhi, Commanding Officer of 17 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Vikas Sharma, Naib Subedar Shankar Gurkhe and 30-40 other unidentified army personnel as accused. They have been accused of forcibly entering the Atholi police station in Kishtwar, attacking government officials and police personnel stationed inside the police station.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army has said that it will fully cooperate with the investigation. A spokesperson for the defense department told Indian media, "The Indian Army will fully cooperate with the legal process. Necessary action will be taken based on the results of the joint investigation. As the investigation is ongoing, no comment should be made on this at this stage.

According to the complaint, the victims of the attack include Atholi Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Vijay Kumar Bhagat and Atholi Police Station Station House Officer (SHO) Amrit Katoch.

The FIR filed by the SHO states that he was attending a government function held at the Block Development Office in Paddar when the army personnel attacked the police station. The function was presided over by the District Commissioner of Kishtwar.

The FIR states that he quickly returned to the police station after receiving information about the violence inside the police station.

The FIR further states that, “As soon as the complainant officer entered the police station premises, the army personnel led by Major Vikas Sharma physically attacked him. During the scuffle, the army personnel tore his uniform shirt and also attacked SDPO Atholi Shri Vijay Kumar Bhagat.”

Police alleged that the attack was pre-planned and several police personnel were injured in it. According to the FIR, the army personnel, armed with sticks, iron rods and government weapons, forcibly entered the police station by scaling the main gate and boundary wall.

Indian media reports said that the army personnel attacked the police station after the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) of Kishtwar seized an army vehicle.

The FIR states, "The attackers caused extensive damage to government and public property. They vandalized the official vehicle of the ARTO, the car of the SHO of Atholi police station and the car of the SDPO Atholi. They also broke the main gate of the police station."

Police claimed that the attack was pre-planned. The accused army personnel intended to "kill" the police personnel on duty.

NDTV reports.