Army Personnel Face FIR After Alleged Assault on Police in Kishtwar Station

Forty Indian Army personnel, including a commanding officer and a Major, have been booked in a First Information Report (FIR) for allegedly storming a police station in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, assaulting police officers, and vandalising property.

The FIR names Colonel N Arun Gandhi, commanding officer of 17 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Vikas Sharma, Naib Subedar Shankar Gurkhe, and 30 to 40 other unidentified Army personnel. The charges include attempted murder, destroying public property, and assaulting government officials.

According to the FIR, the incident occurred at the Atholi police station in Kishtwar. The police allege that the Army personnel entered the station premises by scaling the main gate and boundary walls, armed with lathis (bamboo sticks), iron rods, and service weapons.

Among those allegedly assaulted were Deputy Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar Bhagat and Station House Officer (SHO) Amrit Katoch. The SHO's statement in the FIR says he was attending a government function when he learned of the incident and rushed back to the station.

“As soon as the undersigned entered the premises of the Police Station, the Army personnel, led aggressively by Major Vikas Sharma, physically assaulted undersigned. During this scuffle, they tore the uniform shirt of the undersigned and launched a physical attack on SDPO Atholi, Shri Vijay Kumar Bhagat, also,” the FIR states.

The police have alleged that the assault was pre-planned and that the Army personnel intended to cause fatal injuries. The FIR also mentions that an Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) Kishtwar and his Personal Security Officers (PSOs) were present at the station and were also assaulted. The incident reportedly began after the ARTO seized an Army vehicle.

The attackers caused extensive damage, including vandalising the official vehicles of the ARTO, the SHO, and the SDPO, and breaking the main gate of the police station.

The Indian Army has issued a statement saying it will cooperate with the investigation. “The matter pertains to an FIR registered by the local police in Atholi, Kishtwar. The matter is under examination through the appropriate institutional mechanisms. Indian Army will extend full cooperation in the legal process. Appropriate actions will be taken based on the outcome of the joint investigation. At this stage it would be premature to comment further while the investigations are in progress,” a defence spokesman said.

Both the Army and the police are part of the security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir, and such incidents are rare. The case highlights tensions that can arise between different government forces, particularly in regions with heightened security concerns. The investigation will determine the facts and assign responsibility.