Five held for assaulting CRPF men, disturbing videos spark resentment

Five people were arrested today in connection with the assault on CRPF men during bypoll to the Srinagar parliamentary seat on April 9, while two more disturbing videos went viral, sparking a fresh row in the restive Kashmir valley.

After receiving a complaint from the CRPF, five persons were arrested and a hunt was on for others seen in the video shot in Budgam district, police said. Budgam accounted for the death of seven of the eight protesters during the poll-day violence.

The video surfaced a day after the polling in which some CRPF personnel were seen walking down a street while being heckled, kicked and punched by youths, setting off a nationwide outrage. There was no retaliation by the security personnel, who quietly walked to their camp as they were under instructions to not open fire, sources in the paramilitary said.

The CRPF had strongly protested with the Jammu and Kashmir police as its personnel and polling staff had abandoned the polling station early, officials said.

Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S P Vaid today lauded the restraint shown by the CRPF jawans and said, “Any armed force in the world would have retaliated with force”.

“We have registered an FIR in police station Chadoora against the ruffians who heckled the CRPF personnel. They will be dealt with as per law,” Vaid told

The central government had also promised to take strict action against those who were seen assaulting the CRPF jawans.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police identified 11 people and filed a complaint against the youth who were seen heckling and physically abusing — slapping and kicking — CRPF personnel in a series of videos that went viral.

“Eleven identified five of them arrested, two others being questioned and the main accused is absconding,” SP Vaid, Jammu and Kashmir DGP told.

The central government had also promised to take strict action against those who were seen assaulting the CRPF jawans while they were returning with the EVMs after the bypolls. The jawans were carrying guns but did not retaliate maintaining their calm as they crossed the street after the elections ended.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had also said that he had spoken to the DG CRPF and that they were “looking into the video.”

Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir Nirmal Singh, while condemning the incident, praised the CRPF jawans for showing restraint and patience. “There will be stern action against perpetrators. It's noteworthy how the jawans were patient. Our security forces are disciplined. Such incidents aren't acceptable at all, action will be taken,” Singh had said.

“The jawan had gun in his hands and he could have done anything when he was being insulted. But he kept calm and maintained high discipline,” the Deputy CM said.

“It is a condemnable act. The state government will take stern action and all such elements will be punished,” he said.