Villagers allege police harassment, hold protest in J&K

Srinagar: A group of villagers in south Kashmir`s Kulgam district on Sunday staged a protest against alleged harassment of a family by some police personnel in a land dispute case pending before court.

The residents of Laroo village, some 75 kms from here, took to the streets against harassment of the family which is having a land dispute with relatives, official sources said. Protesters alleged that the police team picked up four male and two female members of the family yesterday, without any female cops accompanying them, they said. The policemen also beat up the family members before taking them to a nearby camp, the protesters alleged. Villagers are demanding action against the policemen for acting beyond their jurisdiction, as the matter was sub judice, sources said. A police spokesperson, however, said the family members were picked up for questioning and had been let off since then. He did not given any reasons why the police picked up the family members. Meanwhile, CPI(M) MLA Kulgam MY Tarigami has condemned the alleged police action. "First of all they should have a warrant of arrest. Then they should have taken female cops with them if they were to arrest any women," Tairgami said. PTI