Baltal fiasco: Clashes at Amarnath Camp, scores injured Police arrests six including two CRPF personnel for instigating violence Ganderbal, July 18: Police had to face a tough time on Friday when local ponnywallas and non-local managers of community kitchen clashed with each other at Baltal, the base camp of Amarnath Yatra. The violence left at least 35 persons including 12 CRPF personnel injured while 300 tents belonged to locals and 6 non-local community kitchens turned into ash after set on fire by rival groups. Sources told CNS that during wee hours there was an altercations between a local pony owner and the non-local cook near Domail Baltal. Reports said that a free langar managed by few people hailing from Katra argued with a ponnywala after he refused to take a yatri from base camp to Amarnath cave. Sources said that the situation turned ugly when infuriated cook of community kitchen stabbed and hit the pony owner with a knife and stick. The colleagues of pony owner identified as Naib Sardar Khan resident of Baramulla shifted him to Base Camp hospital where from doctors referred him to SKIMS Srinagar. An eyewitness told CNS that as the news about the assault spread, locals pony owners, tent owners and Dandhi walas took to streets and assembled in thousands near Baltal. “These locals resorted to massive stone-pelting and tried to ransack the community kitchens,” an eyewitness said adding that CRPF charged these protestors with canes and managed to disperse them for a short period of time. Local pony, tent and dandhi owners alleged that CRPF personnel joined hands with the managers of community kitchens and set their tents on fire. L “These cooks sprayed gunpowder on our tents while CRPF bursted tear smoke shells on the tents to make sure they catch fire,” a pony owner Javid Ahmed Dar from Pahalgam told CNS. The pony and tent owners blamed CRPF for highhandedness and alleged that it were CRPF personnel who instigated violence and virtually turned Base camp into a battle field. The charge was denied by the CRPF official who said that CRPF protected the lives of people and it were they who brought the situation under control. Reports said that while watching their tents in blaze, locals attacked community kitchens and set at least six of them on fire. The gas cylinders present in these kitchens exploded with big bangs, creating panic in the Base Camp. Eyewitnesses told CNS that top police and CRPF officials including IGP Abdul Gani Mir, DIG central Kashmir Afhadul Mujtaba, IG CRPF and others arrived on spot in a chopper to assess the situation. As the chopper made its ground, locals resorted to heavy stone-pelting while, CRPF fired scores of shots in air. Eyewitnesses further added that despite an attempt of Jammu and Kashmir police to to control the visibly infuriated CRPF personnel, they set a Tata Mobile (JK16-4245) on fire. “Some policemen tried to save us from the wrath of CRPF personnel but they attacked them as well,” a pony owner said adding that CRPF personnel prevented Fire tenders to reach on spot to douse the fire. Authorities had pressed 18 fire tenders into service which managed to put out fire after struggling for hours together. Reports said that as the news about the arson in Baltal spread, traders in Sonamarag, Kulan and Kangan downed their shutters and staged a protest against the CRPF for instigating violence. Government Forces resorted to aerial firing at Kulan to disperse the protestors soon after Friday prayers. Kangan Traders Federation said that they will go for indefinite strike till guilty are not punished. A top police official told CNS on condition of anonymity that police arrested at least six persons for indulging in arson of tents. “The detainees include two CRPF personnel, two cooks and two officials of SASB,” he said adding that some of them were caught red handed in putting tents on fire. Eyewitnesses told CNS that a CRPF armoured vehicle allegedly stopped a police van carrying these arrested persons to Sonamarag near Nilgrath demanding their release. The detainees were reportedly taken back to Baltal Base Camp. Meanwhile, the local tent owners said that they suffered heavy losses due to the high handedness of CRPF personnel. “I lost my 20 tents and all the belongings that I had kept in them,” the owner of Tiger Hill Camping. A police handout said that some minor squabble between some people in Baltal Yatra camp. “The situation was brought under control without any injuries to anyone. However some tents and a few Langars have caught fire. Police and Fire Service departments are on job to control the fire.” Inspector General of Police Abdul Gani Mir told CNS that it was a minor incident and the Yatra continued as usual. “All Yatri’s and locals are safe and the situation is under control,” he said adding that the presence of gas cylinders in tents took some time in controlling the fire. (CNS)
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 04:47:46 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015