Jammu, June 25: Police have registered an FIR against several Army personnel, including officers of 17 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), in connection with an alleged assault and damage to government property at Police Station Atholi in Kishtwar district.
According to FIR No. 17/2026 registered at Police Station Atholi under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the incident allegedly took place between 12 noon and 1 pm on June 24.
The FIR states that the Station House Officer (SHO) of Police Station Atholi was attending an official function at the Block Development Office, Paddar, when information was received about an alleged disturbance inside the police station.
According to the complaint, around 30 to 40 Army personnel from 17 Rashtriya Rifles Camp Kijaiyee, allegedly led by Major Vikas Sharma and Naib Subedar Shankar Gurkhe under the command of Commanding Officer N. Arun Gandhi, entered the police station premises by scaling the main gate and boundary wall.
Police have alleged that the Army personnel, armed with lathis, iron rods and service weapons, assaulted police personnel present at the station. The FIR further alleges that the SHO and SDPO Atholi Vijay Kumar Bhagat were assaulted during the incident and that the SHO’s uniform was torn in the scuffle.
The complaint also alleges that Special Police Officer (SPO) Suresh Kumar sustained injuries after being struck on the neck with the butt of a rifle, while several other police personnel posted at the station also suffered injuries.
According to the FIR, the Army personnel allegedly assaulted the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Kishtwar, and his Personal Security Officers, who were present at the police station when the incident occurred.
Police have further alleged that official property was damaged during the incident, including vehicles belonging to the ARTO, the SHO and the SDPO, besides damage to the main gate of the police station.
Those named in the FIR include Commanding Officer N. Arun Gandhi, Major Vikas Sharma, Naib Subedar Shankar Gurkhe, GD Raj Kumar, Sepoy Rahul Kumar, Sepoy Anoop Singh, Sepoy Omkar Ingale and 30 to 40 other unidentified Army personnel.
The case has been registered under Sections 109, 115(2), 121(1), 126(2), 132, 189(2), 190, 191(2), 191(3), 221, 324(4), 324(5), 324(6), 332(b), 351(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 3(1) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
There was no immediate response from the Army regarding the allegations contained in the FIR.
