A journalist working with GK was abused and thrashed by paramilitary CRPF men near Government Medical College (GMC) in Srinagar on Thursday.
Shafat Farooq, who works with GK Web TV, said the CRPF men also aimed their guns at him and threatened to “murder me on the spot”.
“At around 1:40 pm, as soon as we (me and the cameraman) completed our assignment at SMHS hospital, I headed to Lal Chowk on my motorcycle to cover a protest. There was a huge rush of vehicles just few yards ahead of GMC gates, and it seemed a traffic jam but I made quick moves on my bike taking sides from left and right only to find that two trucks belonging to the CRPF 23rd battalion were trying to enter their camp,” said Farooq.
“I along with many other bikers were waiting behind the trucks. More than ten minutes passed but the CRPF men were neither letting us go nor were clearing the road they seemed more busy in chatting and giggling at the helplessness of Kashmiris. After the 10th minute, I saw a small gap behind the truck and made my way from that gap but a CRPF man stopped the bike and without saying anything thrashed me along with my bike and started abusing.”
Farooq said that the CRPF man was joined by his colleagues posted outside the camp gates who started thrashing and abusing him, besides hurling choicest abuses.
“They were trying to drag me into the camp which I resisted but soon the onlookers intervened and seeing the crowd of people the CRPF men were unnerved and let me go as people resisted their move. One among them also aimed his gun at me threatening to murder me on the spot. I have no visible injury marks on my body (except the face which is still red because of the slap) but my neck and a part of shoulder are aching,” said Farooq. “The timely intervention of locals saved my life.”
A CRPF spokesman Rajesh Yadav said that he would look into the issue.
“Let me talk to the officials at the 23rd Battalion. I will look into what has actually happened,” he said.