Army slams Nashik police over serial 'bandhs'; seeks probe
Mumbai, Jan 27 : Saying that Army's image stands tarnished due to malafide actions of Nashik police, a senior army official has written to the Director General of Police, Maharashtra seeking investigations into the alleged involvement of cops in serial 'bandhs' (shutdown).
"It (bandhs) affects security of Army garrison at Nashik and morale of troops," said a letter written by Lt Gen A K Mishra, Commandant and Colonel Commandant Regiment of Artillery.
In his letter dated January 18, Lt Gen Mishra has said that in the aftermath of clash between Army jawans and police and the former allegedly vandalising the Upnagar police station recently, a 'bandh' to protest the attack on police station has been allegedly enforced by the Nashik Police in full public view in the front of the Army Sentry Post adjoining the civil area.
According to Mishra, on January 17 too, a similar bandh was imposed at Upnagar Jail Road and Nashik Road areas at the behest of Nashik Police.
"Therefore
we
anticipate
serial
Bandhs
in
and
around
Nashik
in
days
to
come
to
malign
the
image
of
the
Armed
forces
and
create
animosity
between
the
public
and
the
army," said
the
Lt
Gen
in
his
letter.
Lt
Gen
Mishra
also
said
that
the
commandant
is
seized
with
a
very
sensitive
situation
wherein
the
security
of
the
Army
Garrison
and
morale
of
the
Armed
forces
stand
undermined.
"In
run
up
to
the
Republic
day,
wherein
the
nation's
sentiments
towards
the
Armed
forces
to
express
their
gratitude
for
their
selfless
sacrifices
in
defending
their
motherland
is
set
to
get
compromised.
This
will
be
unacceptable
to
every
proud
and
patriotic
Indian,"
said
the
letter.
On
January
14,
around
100-150
jawans,
clad
in
track
suits,
arrived
at
Upnagar
police
station
on
motorcycles
and
went
on
a
rampage
there
by
damaging
furniture,
wireless
equipment,
telephone
sets
and
also
allegedly
manhandled
women
police
personnel.
Three
policemen
were
injured
in
the
attack
and
one
of
them
was
reported
serious.
The
attack
was
apparently
to
avenge
the
detention
of
three
Army
personnel,
including
an
officer
of
School
of
Artillery,
Deolali,
by
police
on
the
night
of
January
13,
following
an
altercation
over
parking
of
their
vehicle
at
the
gate
of
the
police
station.
Initially,
the
police
registered
an
FIR
against
the
Lieutenant-rank
officer
Ashish
Bagul
and
one
Jayant
Narad,
a
BJP
leader
from
Nashik
road
area,
under
sections
353
(assault
or
criminal
force
to
deter
public
servant
from
discharge
of
his
duty)
and
504
(intentional
insult
with
intent
to
provoke
breach
of
the
peace).
Later,
police
booked
the
jawans
under
various
sections
of
IPC,
including
criminal
conspiracy,
voluntarily
causing
grievous
hurt
and
for
outraging
the
modesty
of
women.
Eighteen
jawans
were
subsequently
arrested.
PTI