The family members of a militant in Kulgam district on Thursday claimed that they were ruthlessly beaten by the Army during nocturnal raids in their village.

As the news spread in the area, Rampura village of Qaimuh erupted in protest against the highhandedness of Army. Besides protests, a shutdown was observed in the area to protest against the army action

“Forces entered  into the village around 1 am but due to the strong resistance from the locals, they went back without causing any damage to property,” they said.

However, the army according to locals again around 3 am and fired tear smoke shells, which developed a fear psychosis among locals.

“Forces resorted to indiscriminate shelling and no one dared to step out of their houses,” the locals said.

They  said  forces later barged inside the house of Tawseef Ahmad Sheikh, a local Hizbul Mujahideen militant and went berserk.

“All the family members including mother and three sisters were beaten. Male family members had already shifted to their neighbors house apprehending a raid inside their house,” said one of the relatives of Tawseef..

“A four year old baby was also beaten by forces.”

The relatives accused forces of ransacking the house and breaking the windowpanes and other important gadgets inside the house.

“They are harassing our family as one of our member has picked up the gun. Harassing family members won’t bear any positive results for these forces,” the relatives of Tawseef said.

Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed in Rampora, Qaimuh and Khudwanni area after the news spread in the village.

Youth assembled at Rampora and blocked Anantnag-Kulgam road. This road remained blocked for the whole day, witnesses added.

“It  is our right  to protect the chastity of our mothers and sisters.  Today forces have  targeted the mother and sisters of Tawseef, tomorrow they can target ours. We won’t allow them to unleash such reign of terror here,” the protestors told Kashmir Vision.

Meanwhile, police later in the day refuted the allegations leveled by the Villagers. A police spokesman said that the news item circulated by some new portals and Facebook pages regarding the beating of a militant family in Qoimoh area of Kulgam is false.

District Police administration while reacting to the news has said that the news report is baseless, concocted and far from the truth and is therefore rebutted. Mischief  mongers  in order to derail  some serious terror crime investigations in the district are behind such malicious campaign, the spokesman added.

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