Kulgam, Aug 19 2018: The forces last night went on rampage in Bhan village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district damaging property, beating up the inmates and arresting three youth, locals alleged on Saturday.
They said the forces raided Bhan village and made announcements from mosque loudspeakers to hand over some youth from village to them. “As the locals resisted the move they (army) went berserk and vandalized the property. They smashed window panes of the houses and smashed the kitchen appliances including refrigerators and washing machines,” they alleged.
They further accused army of even damaging cars, tractors and JCBS parked outside. “Three youth Fasil Bashir, Fasil Nazir, Muneeb Ahmad Sheikh, all hailing from Bhan village were rounded up,” said one Hikmatyar Ahmad.
“ People were screaming for help and it was only at around 12:00 that forces retreated from the village,” said another local Mehraj Ahmad.
The alleged forces highhandedness triggered late night protests in Bhan and adjoining Ashmuji village. However, army’s Srinagar based spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia refuted the claims of locals and said, “The army did not at all indulge in any kind of ransacking or beating of people.”
