4 killed, 44 injured in firing as mob attacks BSF camp in J&K
Four people were killed and 44 others, including security personnel, injured in stone-pelting and resultant firing on Thursday when a mob attacked a BSF camp in Ramban district over alleged high-handedness by a BSF team.
BSF said its personnel opened fire in self-defence with "maximum restraint" when a mob indulged in firing and tried to storm their storehouse of arms and ammunition.
Inspector General of BSF Jammu Frontier Rajeev Krishna told reporters that a picket of troops of 76 Battalion of BSF posted on Ramban district intercepted one person moving in suspicious circumstances at a check-point at Dursoo Nallah Bridge area between 9.45pm to 10pm on Wednesday night.
As he was questioned about his movement, he refused to give details about his presence there. The BSF team left him and informed the police, the IG said.
The IG said that at around 6.30am on Thursday as the police were investigating the matter, a mob of 700-800 people attacked the BSF post with stones injuring one constable, Krishna said.
He said there was also firing from the mob in which one BSF jawan sustained gun-shot wounds and the protesters stormed the camp, pelted stones and tried to force their way into the arms and ammunition store.
"Keeping in view the threat to the arms and ammunitions, steps were taken with maximum restraint by the security forces in which there were some casualities", the IG of BSF said adding four persons were killed.
Asked wheather the casualties were in BSF or police firing, the IG said "BSF and police officials and officers were on the spot. It is difficult to say in whose firing the casualities were caused".
Asked whether there were militants among the mob that fired on BSF, Krishna said "it is a matter of investigation but there was a fire-arm in the mob and one jawan was injured in the firing from the mob".
Official sources said 44 persons, including 2 jawans, were injured in clashes and firing.
The IG said BSF exercised restraint last night as also on Wednesday morning.
Replying to a question about the allegation of local people that BSF had done an act of sacrilege, the IG said, "BSF is a highly professional force. We respect every religion and religious books. BSF has been posted here for last several years and no allegation has come to us that any BSF personnel had indulged in any kind of such act in the past."
Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo said the patrolling BSF team deployed for security of the railway project intercepted a youth roaming under suspicious circumstances in Daram belt of Gool tehsil.
The youth was questioned about his presence in the area and may have been beaten up by the security personnel, Kitchloo said.
The disturbance was fuelled by allegations from a cleric of a seminary about sacrilegious, Kitchloo said.
In New Delhi, Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde ordered an inquiry into the firing incident in Ramban district and said any excessive use of force will be dealt with strictly.
"I have ordered an inquiry to be conducted without any loss of time to ascertain the circumstances leading to the firing. I assure that any use of excessive force or irresponsible action shall be dealt with strictly," he said in a statement.
The home minister said the loss of life in the incident was particularly sad and appealed to the people to maintain peace and normalcy.
Stone-pelting by the mob which attacked the BSF camp left a few BSF men injured, Kitchloo said.
Police rushed to the spot to control the mob which, however, turned violent.
Following the firing incident, shutdown was enforced in Bhaderwah, Gool, Ramban, Banihal and Sangaldan area of Jammu region amid violent protests during which 2 official vehicles, and as many ambulances were set on fire in Ramban and Gool areas and the office of District Development Commissioner (DDC) in Ramban came under attack with its furniture ransacked.
In Jammu, protests were held at Khatika Talab area and protesters raised anti-government and anti-BSF slogans.
Authorities on Thursday suspended traffic on 300-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway following protests against the firing incident in Ramban district.
The highway has been closed to vehicular traffic as a precautionary measure after angry protesters took to the streets and blocked the arterial road at various places between Banihal and Udhampur.
Officials said authorities are monitoring the situation and a decision to allow traffic on the highway - the only road linking Kashmir with rest of the country - will depend on the law and order situation.
Kitchloo, along with DGP Ashok Prasad and Divisional Commissioner (Jammu), Pradeep Gupta, reviewed the security situation at Chanderkote and later DGP and Divisional Commisioner flew to Gool.
Of the 44 injured, including 2 jawans in clashes and firing, 13 were airlifted to Jammu admitted to GMC Hospital in Jammu, two taken to GMC Hospital in Srinagar and another two to Jammu.
Rest of the injured have been hospitalised in Ramban district hospital.
4 killed, 44 injured in firing as mob attacks BSF camp in J&K - Hindustan Times
