Hundreds of angry Kashmiri villagers paraded two Indian soldiers naked through the streets after they were 'caught trying to rape' a 17-year-old girl.
Duo arrested, a case of attempt to rape registered
SRINAGAR: Angry villagers thrashed two jawans of 57 Rashtriya Riffles (RR), chopped off their hair and paraded them half-naked for allegedly trying to molest a girl in the remote Kunan-Gujjarpati village of Bandipora district in north Kashmir.
Hundreds of villagers took to the streets after the news of the alleged molestation spread like wildfire on Tuesday evening. The police had to resort to lathi-charge and fire smoke shells to quell the mob, before rescuing the two jawans.
Jawans Naik Joginder Singh and Lance Naik Dulgeet Singh have been arrested. A case of attempt to rape has been registered against them.
The police said the jawans were part of group who had gone to the area for anti-militancy operations. They were in plain clothes and unarmed when they barged into the house of a local girl, who raised an alarm. Neighbours caught hold of the jawans, tore their clothes and chopped off their hair. They were later paraded half-naked from the village to Bandipora town. “We had to use some force to release the jawans from the clutches of people,” said Imitiyaz Hussian, additional superintendent of police, Sopore.
On Wednesday morning, the villagers gathered at Bandipora town and demanded strict action against the soldiers. “Later, they met the deputy commissioner who assured them a probe into the matter,” said Imitiyaz.
The Army, too, has ordered an inquiry into the incident. “We are investigating the matter. If our jawans are found guilty of molesting the girl they will be punished,” said Colonel Manjinder Singh, adding that an attempt to murder case had been registered against the villagers who thrashed the jawans.
The incident has triggered a political storm. Omar Abdullah, president of National Conference, said: “The people have lost faith in the system. So, they are taking the law in their own hands.”
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