Kashmir unrest: Attacks on men in uniform increase manifold, deadly mob unleashes horror
With the recent attack on a CRPF constable by a mob in SMHS hospital, the total number of CRPF officers injured in the ongoing violence has risen to 21 out of which two are critical.
In Short
- CRPF personnel are under constant attacks by the mob.
- 10 out of 21 officers were admitted in hospital for grave injuries.
- High officials commended personnel for showing restraint under attacks by mob.
The CRPF constable, who was hit on the head by a mob inside Srinagar's prestigious SMHS hospital, is critical. The constable was part of an escort party that was taking a CRPF official, who had suffered a heart attack during riot control duty, to the hospital.
ATTACK ON MEN IN UNIFORM
Another CRPF personnel who suffered a splinter injury in the head in a grenade attack during stone-pelting at Nowhatta area of downtown Srinagar, is also grave.
On July 11, around 9 pm, Constable Rahul R complained of pain in the left side of the chest. He was immediately referred to the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital in Karan Nagar by the CRPF doctor. Along with the doctor and two armed escort personnel, the CRPF patient was taken to hospital where doctors said he had suffered a heart attack.
"Just then a mob assembled and noticed the CRPF personnel in uniform at the hospital and attacked them. The CRPF person who had suffered a heart attack was immediately taken into another room by the doctors. Head Constable Joginder Singh and Constable Pawan were attacked by the mob who tried to snatch their weapons,'' top sources in the CRPF told MAIL TODAY.
MAIL TODAY has accessed the CRPF signal generated after the incident and it reads: "When the patient was taken into the emergency department of the hospital, a group of youth attacked the escort personnel all of a sudden and tried to snatch away their weapons. Head Constable Joginder Singh and Constable Pawan were in the escort party. In the scuffle, Head Constable Joginder was caught in the middle of the crowd and suffered injuries as he got hit by a hard object.
OFFICER HIT ON HEAD, SUFFERS HEAD FRACTURE
The mob also tried to put the (CRPF) vehicle on fire. However, Constable Pawan managed to take hold of both the weapons and ran out of the hospital with the driver and the vehicle saving both the weapons.'' "It appears that Head Constable Joginder Singh's helmet fell off during the scuffle. As he tried to retrieve it, the mob pushed him on the ground and hit him on his head. He suffered a skull fracture,'' Atul Karwal, Inspector General of the CRPF in Srinagar confirmed.
Despite the head injury, a bleeding Joginder Singh managed to reach the police station outside the hospital where the police sent out an urgent message for reinforcements. "The Jammu and Kashmir police personnel rushed inside the hospital and rescued the CRPF personnel inside who had suffered a heart attack and was kept hidden by the staff. As soon as reinforcements including DC (Ops) arrived, under police protection, the injured head constable and the patient who suffered the heart attack were shifted to a hospital,'' another official said.
10 OUT OF 21 OFFICERS IN HOSPITAL
The CRPF is also concerned about the condition of the constable who suffered a grenade splinter injury on the head while withdrawing from the Nowhatta area of downtown Srinagar. "The CRPF team that was deployed downtown was withdrawing in the evening. Twenty-two CRPF personnel were injured. Ten of them are still in hospital, two with head injuries,'' Karwal added.
The CRPF has credited its personnel for showing utmost restraint and not opening fire despite such severe attacks and threat to life and weapons. "Our personnel are still in hospital. They remain on the critical list. We hope they will recover soon with no permanent damage," he added.
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