5 HELD FOR HECKLING OF CRPF JAWANS

Srinagar, April 14: Five people were arrested on Friday in connection with the assault on CRPF men during bypoll to the Srinagar parliamentary seat on April 9, more disturbing videos went viral, sparking a fresh row in the restive Kashmir valley.

After receiving a complaint from the CRPF, five persons were arrested, and a hunt was on for others seen in the video shot in Budgam district, police said.

Budgam accounted for the death of seven of the eight protesters during the poll-day violence.

The video surfaced a day after the polling in which some CRPF personnel were seen walking down a street while being heckled, kicked and punched by youths, setting off a nationwide outrage. There was no retaliation by the security personnel, who quietly walked to their camp as they were under instructions to not open fire, sources in the paramilitary said.

The CRPF had strongly protested with the Jammu and Kashmir police as its personnel and polling staff had abandoned the polling station early, officials said.

Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S.P. Vaid on Friday lauded the restraint shown by the CRPF jawans and said, “Any armed force in the world would have retaliated with force”.

“We have registered an FIR against the ruffians who heckled the CRPF personnel. They will be dealt with as per law,” Vaid said. The DGP said an FIR has also been lodged after a video surfaced in which an ITBP man was seen shooting right in the head of a stone-pelting protester outside a polling station.

“A case has been registered for that incident also. Action will be taken against whoever is found guilty,” the DGP said. -PTI