Srinagar: A family of an 18-year-old youth in a remote Handwara village Saturday accused the army of torturing their son during a crack-down.
Abdul Ahad Bhat, father of Sajad Ahmad Bhat, 18, told KNS that his son was tortured by a local army unit in Waisakavnar, Zafarkhana, in Rajwar area in Handwara on Saturday morning. Army had launched a crackdown in our village on today morning and took my son, Sajad, with them, saying that they are searching for the militants. They tortured him inside our house and smashed other household items, Bhat claimed.
Police said that the family has taken their son to a hospital and are yet to register complaint about the incident.
We are waiting for the familys complaint. Once they file the complaint, we will investigate and accordingly register an FIR, SP Handwara, Ghulam Jeelani told KNS.
The family said that they have rushed their son to Handwara hospital from where the doctors referred him to SKIMS, Bemina. At present, my son is under treatment at SKIMS, Bemina, he said. Defence spokesman Col N N Joshi said that the allegations of the family are baseless. Some youth of the area were called for questioning by the army. No youth was beaten or tortured. The allegations of the family are baseless, Joshi told KNS.
Er Rasheed seeks action against accused Army officer
MLA Langate Engineer Abdul Rasheed has demanded action against the Army major for allegedly beating an 18-year-old youth from Zafarkhana Handwara.
Rasheed in a statement said Sajad Ahmad Bhat son of Ab Ahad Bhat resident of Zafarkhani was beaten to the pulp by the Army officer.
The company commander of 6RR stationed at Kukroosa Handwara has been very often harassing the inhabitants of the area and the movement of civilians in the area has become terrible, Rasheed accused.
He said, The said officer cordoned the village Zafarkhani during night and started search operations early morning claiming presence of militants in the village. He took few youth along with him for the search operation and after finding nothing they said officer hurdled abuses at them and took one Sajad Ahmad Bhat son Abdul Ahad Bhat to the nearby house. However when after search operations nothing was found in the village, the said officer subjected Sajad to third degree torture and put a piece of cloth in his mouth and started beating him up, which resulted in bleeding and after protest by the locals Sajad was shifted to district hospital Handwara where from doctors seeing his critical condition referred him to Srinagar for further treatment.
He demanded time bound action against the accused army officer. (PTK)
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