Conflict

Beerwah killing: Conflicting statements of the police and Army

Army opened fire after mistaking a cracker for a grenade: Police

Stone pelters tried to snatch weapons, troops opened fire: Army

Budgam: After the killing of a youth Tanveer Ahmed Wani, in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district Police and Army released their separate versions which almost clash with each other.

Jammu and Kashmir Police said that Army opened fire in Beerwah after mistaking a fire cracker sound for grenade blast while the Army said some stone-pelters tried to ‘snatch weapons’ from the patrol party.

On the other hand, locals who were accompanying with wounded youth at the hospital claimed that army responded with bullets after they objected to their thrashing of vendors and pedestrians earlier in the day.

Jammu and Kashmir Police issued a press release about the killing.

The police statement read, “As per initial information received today a Foot Patrol of army was returning to its camp and near Beerwah some miscreants pelted stones on them. Someone among these miscreants also hurled a fire cracker towards the army men. Because of bang the army men thought a grenade was hurled and they retaliated. Two persons identified as Tanveer Ahmed and Mohammed Ibrahim Wani were injured. Among them Tanveer succumbed to his injuries while Ibrahim is stable.”

Srinagar based Defense Spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia in reaction to the killing sent a Whatsapp text to CNS, a news agency which read, “An Army patrol was subjected to heavy stone pelting by a mob in Kondur village near Beerwah town at 13:15 hours today. In no time the numbers swelled and the intensity of stone-pelting increased. Some stone-pleters tried to close in with the patrol and snatch weapons from the soldiers. Two persons were reportedly injured when troops opened fire. One of the injured, however, later succumbed to his injuries.”

(With inputs from CNS)

 

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