By News Agency of Kashmir,
Jammu : At least twenty five Muslims including five policemen were injured after police allegedly open fire on a protesting mob in Mandi area of Poonch district today.
Reports reaching here said that the members of two communities were settling some dispute that arises due to misbehavior of one Dr Bishan Sharma with a Muslim girl on Aug 12 this month.
After some majority community members thrashed the minority members for his behaviour on Aug 12, the matter was brought into the notice of the Police who called both the parties for today to settle the dispute so as to ensure communal harmony in the area.
It was reliably learnt that the elders of both the communities had decided to resolve the mater and had assembled at Mandi police station today. “Some persons of the majority community entered in hot exchange of words that led to minor clash” sources quoting eye witnesses told NAK adding on this one of the minority members who is a retired police official snatched riffle of a cop and open fire injuring dozens all of them Muslims. Three persons have reportedly received critical gun shot wounds.
SSP Poonch Basant Kumar along with other cops has also received stone injury.
The other members of majority community who were coming out of the Masjid after Friday prayers joined the mob and clash with police, sources claimed saying that the police lobbed tear gas shells and pelted stones on the angry mob injuring some of them.
The protesters also pelted stones and injured some of the police man. “Police and the groups start pelting stones on each other which takes an ugly turn” sources quoting eye witnesses told NAK adding police resort to heavy lathi-charge and use teargas shells to disperse the mob.
Informed sources told News Agency of Kashmir the members of majority community went out of control when president Beopar Mandal Mandi was manhandled by police and was given severe thrashing.
People stage protest demonstrations outside the police station and demand suspension of the SHO and arrest of the retired ‘army personnel’ who allegedly open fire on the mob, sources added.
Reports said senior police and civil officers reached the spot and assure action against those found guilty.
“We appeal all the senior citizens not to flair-up the issue as communal those found involved in firing would be punished according to Law of the land” a senior official told NAK.
The injured have been shifted to district Hospital and three of them with critical injuries were referred to Jammu.
President Shia Federation Ashiq Hussian Khan and other members of the federation has strongly condemned the police action and demanded action against those involved in the firing.
In a statement issued here tonight said that most of the injured belong to Shia community and they have been brutally cane charged by the police. “We condemned high handedness of the police and demand judicial inquiry in the matter.
Dr Shenaz Ganai a local national conference leader has also condemn the police action and demanded severe punishment to the erring police cops who resort to shelling with out any provocation on the majority community. She appealed to all the communities to maintain peace and communal harmony as the state was passing through a crucial stage.
Those injured include Mushtaq Ahmad son of Taj Ali, Mohd Rashid Son of Mohd Din , Reyaz Ahmad son Assadulla, Ali Bhadur Khan Son of Akbar Khan, Khadim Hussian son of Sarfraz Ahmad,Rashid Ahmad son of Nazir Ahmad, Mushtaq Ahmad son of Abdul Samad, Zaffar Iqbal son of Mushtaq Ahmad, Mukhtar Ahmad son of Mumtaz Hussian, Khadin Hussian son of Raj Mohd, Mohd Akram son Ali Joo, Bashir Ahmad son of Gani Joo, Mushtaq Ahmad son Abdul Ahad, Masood Hussian son of Sayeed Mohd, Jahangeer Ahmad son Assadulla, Waqar Ahmad son of Sayeed Mohd , Mohd Imran son of Mohd Akram.
All of them have been hospitalized and three critically injured were likely to be shifted to Jammu. The identity of police personnel was not ascertained immediately.