Srinagar: A Deputy Commandant of CRPF on Friday allegedly have a brawl with Station House Officer Batamaloo here triggered by preventing children from playing cricket by paramilitary forces at Tengpora locality here.
Sources and eyewitnesses told GNS that a contingent of 73 battalion CRPF caught some kids playing cricket on roadside at Tengpora on Friday afternoon. Led by the Deputy Commandant, the paramilitary forces even started to beat up some kids, accusing them of planning to create disturbance in the area.
In the meantime, a police party which was passing through the area objected to it and saved the kids.
Enraged by of police’s support to kids, the Dy Commandant allegedly took his pistol out and aimed it at SHO.
The deputy Commandant, they said, also accused police of being “hand in glove with militants and stone-pelters.”
In a related development, sources said that locals have lodged a written complaint against the erring paramilitary personnel at police station Batmaloo for beating the cricket playing kids.
When contacted, spokesman of CRPF, Kishore Prasad first feigned ignorance about the incident and asked GNS to wait before confirming it.
After about few minutes, the spokesman said that CRPF personnel only asked the kids not to play cricket “as the area is prone for stone pelting.”
“However, when police came in support of the kids, there were some verbal exchanges and nothing more. They (public) is making a mountain out of a molehill.”
Despite repeated attempts, SSP Srinagar could not be contacted even as it has been reliably known that the SHO has taken up the issue with him. (GNS)