Man killed in confrontation with SOG in Doda; internet suspended amid protests
Representational image (Image courtesy: Wikimedia)
New Delhi: Tensions flared in Doda, Jammu & Kashmir, after a 30-year-old man was allegedly killed during a confrontation with Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel, three of whom were injured in the firing incident in the Jai area. The firing followed an attempt to snatch a service rifle, police said. Authorities have suspended internet services in parts of the Chenab valley as a security measure.
According to senior police officers cited in reports, an SOG team had laid an ambush along the Jai-Gandoh road following information about suspected cattle smugglers operating in the area.
At around 11.30pm on Thursday, the SOG party intercepted a man who allegedly attacked the personnel and attempted to snatch a service rifle, police said. The weapon went off during the scuffle that followed. Locals claimed the man was an innocent autorickshaw driver who was shot by SOG personnel after an altercation in Jai. They also claimed that his acquaintance, who tried to intervene, was beaten by the SOG personnel.
The deceased has been identified as Arif Hussain, 30, from Cheeka village in Bhaderwah sub-division.
The injured SOG personnel were rushed to the sub-district hospital in Bhaderwah and from there to the Government Medical College Hospital in Doda. Hussain was declared dead on arrival.
Bhaderwah is about 35km from the site of the incident. As news of the man’s death reached the town and adjoining areas, protests broke out, with residents coming onto the streets.
Bhaderwah’s Anjuman-e-Islamia has called for a bandh. Police have taken one resident into custody, and senior civil and police officers have reached Bhaderwah to oversee the situation. On Friday morning, the administration suspended mobile internet services across Doda district.
After a postmortem, the deceased’s body was handed over to his family, who took it to Bhalla village, where a large crowd had gathered in protest. The family has demanded a fair inquiry into the killing.
The situation eventually normalized in most parts of the district. In Doda town, shops and businesses remained open. Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed at sensitive locations.
