Army orders inquiry into Pune clash

New Delhi, Feb 1: Army has ordered a Court of Inquiry to probe an incident in Pune where the local police alleged its constables were assaulted by a group of soldiers after caught driving into a no-entry area.

"College of Military Engineering (CME) has ordered a Court of Inquiry (CoI) headed by a Colonel. After investigation appropriate action will be taken," Army officials said here today.

The incident took place after two young officers entered a bridge, which was not meant for two wheelers. They were stopped at the other end of the bridge by a constable and told to pay a fine, they said.

"As the officers were paying the fine, another constable reached the spot and mentioned that he was harassed in the Army area for not wearing a helmet and now he will sort them (two young officers) out, leading to a confrontation between them," officials claimed.

The two officers were then taken to the police station.

However, according to the local police, the trouble started when an Army person attached to the CME, riding a motorbike, was stopped by a traffic constable at Sambhaji Bridge for running into a no-entry area.

They then returned with his friends and allegedly assaulted the policemen at the nearby outpost, police said, adding they also broke the cameras of mediapersons who had rushed to the spot.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Jadhav said the CME jawans had allegedly abused and assaulted police constables and action was being taken against the culprits.

PTI