Three journos 'roughed up by Jammu and Kashmir police'

The journalists were covering the encounter in Pulwama district that broke out early morning when they were allegedly beaten by Jammu and Kashmir police personnel with batons. In a viral video of the incident, police personnel can be seen beating up a journalist with a baton as he tries to run away.

Pulwama: Three photojournalists were allegedly beaten by J&K police personnel while they were covering an encounter which broke out in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday morning.

Kamran Yousuf, one of the journalists, who was beaten by police personnel at the encounter site in Marwal village of Pulwama told ETV Bharat that while he was doing his job, policemen came and started beating the journalists who were present on the spot.

“SDPO (Sub-divisional police officer) Kakapora and policemen accompanying him chased me and started beating with batons,” Yousuf said, who works with an online news website, Newsclick.

He said: "Two other journalists, Faisal Bashir and Reshi Irshad, were also beaten up along with him at the gunfight site."

In a viral video of the incident, a forces’ personnel can be seen beating up Yousuf with a baton as he tries to run away. "I am on the way to a Srinagar hospital for a medical examination. My both legs are in pain beyond imagination," he added.

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar didn't respond to calls despite repeated attempts. However, a senior J&K police officer in south Kashmir claimed that "they are looking into the matter."

Earlier, two army personnel have received injuries in the gunfight that broke out between militants and government forces in the area.

According to the police, two army personnel have been injured while 2-3 militants are believed to be trapped and operation is still underway. "The gunfight broke out when a joint team of police, Army’s 50 RR and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Marwal earlier today morning," the police officer said.