Tension in Faridkot as villagers take army men for terrorists

BATINDHA: Suspecting army men with weapons to be anti -social elements, residents of a village in Faridkot panicked and informed the police about it on Thursday morning.
On getting the information, Faridkot senior superintendent of police (SSP) despatched six quick response teams (QRT), who surrounded the village Hari Nau Singh from all sides. After half an hour, the police teams learnt that the suspects were actual soldiers, when they produced their identities.The soldiers were from JK Rifles Regiment, and had told the police that they were on a camouflage exercise in the villages.
Police claimed that the army had not given any prior information about visiting the village for their routine exercise, which caused a panic among local residents. Eight armymen in two groups of four each were found at Hari Nau Singh around 6am.
They were going to the adjoining Thaada village, but Hari Nau residents suspected their movement and informed the sarpanch Sarabjit Singh, who in turn informed the police, and within a few minutes, over 100 policemen in six teams reached the village and surrounded it. No army official was available for comments.
Faridkot SSP Darshan Singh Mann told TOI: "When villagers told the police about the movement of suspected persons, I immediately sent six teams to Hari Nau Singh village and made contact with the military station at Faridkot. The armymen had not informed the police about their exercise.
Without taking any chance, the police teams surrounded the village from all sides and had taken positions. Only after a Major -rank official from the military station confirmed that the suspects were actually from JK Rifles, I called back the police teams. All this took over half an hour."