Palhallan family levels molestation charges against Police

Srinagar: As if the months long curfew and restrictions were not enough for this volatile Palhallan village of north Kashmir’s district Baramulla on Wednesday it came across with an alleged molestation of two women by police, besides desecration of Quran and other Islamic literature, the charges which police denied.

According to locals police allegedly barged into the house of Ghulam Rasool Sheikh at Raipora Palhallan early this morning, smashed windowpanes, and pulled the doors from hinges.

Police allegedly beat up the inmates and ransacked the house. Sheikh’s son Sajad Ahmad told Agence that a police party led by the Deputy S superintendent of Police and Station House Officer, Pattan without any provocation forcibly entered into their house.

“I had gone to my fields to see the tractor Walla (tractor driver). One of neighbors informed about the incident. When I rushed to my home I saw my mother and sister lying on ground with policemen beating them ruthlessly. We protested the molesting behavior of Police they fled from the spot,” said angry Sajad Ahmad.

According the family members, police was looking for Sajad’s younger brother Tariq Ahmad who had been spotted as a stone-pelter by the police.

“Tariq had gone to fetch milk form the neighbors and there were only my parents and my sister. Police’s behavior with my sister was intolerable. They hold my sister’s hand and shout that they will take her to the police station if Tariq won’t come,” Sajad said.

He said they broke everything that came their way. Police ransacked the house and desecrated the religious literature, he alleged.

“I told the Dy SP that he is a Muslim and should respect the holy books, but he didn’t listen to me and hurled abuses to me in return,” Sajad alleged. Damage to the property was not the worry but the molestation was humiliating, he said. “Desecration of Islamic literature is something that is not bearable,” he said.

Sajad said, “Till now it was a political struggle but now police has unleashed war on our religion.”

He said when his father intervened; he too wasn’t spared and was beaten to pulp. He was later taken to hospital by his neighbors.

“My father shouted at Police, kill my both sons but we need freedom from this oppression and tyranny,” he added.

Locals said to enforce the Hurriyat strike call on Tuesday youth pelted stones on vehicles plying on highway. After that a police party chased the stone throwers and fired teargas shells. However, today in the morning police raided the house of Sajad Ahmad and ransacked the house. Police beat up the inmates ruthlessly and the two women. An eyewitness said, “I saw the two women being beaten ruthlessly. After we protested police fled away from the spot,” he said.

Interestingly Sajad was awarded character certificate by the Pattan Police that he is not involved in any unlawful activity which he needed for the Job purposes.

Sajad is an innovator and has been working on many ideas. He said his projects have been approved by National Innovation Foundation Ahmadabad.

“I have been working on a metal and it has been accepted by University of Kashmir and they send it to the NIF Ahmadabad. But these incidents are forcing us to be follow so other path, they Police and forces are pushing us into the tragedies,” he said.

When contacted by Agence India Press the Deputy Inspector General of police, Baramulla Muneer Khan denied the charges. “This is a lie. On Tuesday evening youth have pelted stones on vehicles plying on the highway. To prevent that we used batons and teargas shells in Palhallan. However, police today did not enter into the Palhallan Village. These charges are baseless,” he said.