Army officer accused of thrashing nomadic men near Srinagar

A group of nomadic men from the Gujjar and Bakarwal community have alleged that they were assaulted by an Army officer last week in the Daghwan mountains, situated on the outskirts of Srinagar. The Army is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

The matter first came to light on social media, after National Conference MLA from Budhal (Rajouri district), Choudhary Javed Iqbal, claimed that several men had been beaten by Army personnel on Saturday.

“These nomadic tribals migrate to the area and stay in dhoks every year. They were called by the Army and 3–4 people were beaten. When I learnt of the incident, I contacted the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir,” Iqbal told The Tribune on Monday.

Iqbal also posted on X, urging Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha “to rein in such excesses”. “Stop this provocation. Protect tribal lives,” he wrote.

The men who were allegedly assaulted have been identified as Showkat Ahmad, Liyaqat Ali, Ghulam Qadir and Mohammed Azam, according to Ishtiyaq Ahmad, a relative of the victims who is currently grazing livestock in the Daghwan area.

“There is no reason why they were beaten. This is a newly set-up Army camp in the region,” he said, adding that the Army had also instructed them to vacate the area.

On Sunday evening, the victims were reportedly summoned to Harwan Police Station, where they met the local Superintendent of Police who, according to Ahmad, assured them they could stay in the area for another three months.

Located in the upper reaches, Daghwan is traditionally inhabited during the summer months by a large number of Gujjar and Bakarwal families as part of their seasonal migration with livestock.

Mian Mehar Ali, National Conference MLA from Kangan in central Kashmir, called the incident “unfortunate” and avoidable. “Yes, they were beaten by the Army. I have also taken up the issue with the officials concerned and I was assured that the matter will be looked into,” he told The Tribune.

When contacted, Srinagar-based Defence PRO Lt Col Manoj Sahu said he had no information regarding the incident but assured he would “find out the details”.

SSP Srinagar, Sandeep Chakravarthy, could not be reached for comment.

The allegation comes amid heightened tension, following the recent killing of a Gujjar youth in police firing in the Jammu region, an incident that sent shockwaves through the community and sparked demands for a full investigation.