Road rage between cop, family carrying pregnant lady brings JKP under scanner

“For bringing out the truth behind the incident, a neutral investigation will be conducted from some other police station.” Shridhar Patil, SSP Jammu

JAMMU: A family in Bathindi alleged that a cop posted in Bathindi Police Post blocked their car carrying a pregnant woman to hospital near a checkpoint and also beat them, which was refuted by police which also booked four members of the family for allegedly assaulting the cop setup at the entrance of the locality declared as a red zone' to prevent the spread of coronavirus here.
As the news of incident spread across the city, the district police chief has assured a neutral investigation conducted from another police station to bring to fore the truth into the incident.
The allegedly aggrieved family shot a video and shared it on social media, claiming that while they were on their way to SMGS hospital for delivery of a woman in a car, a cop posted in Bathindi Police Post blocked them with his car coming from opposite direction.
“The cop wearing civil clothes did not accept our request to give us passage as both the cars were stuck on a narrow lane at Mominabad in Bathindi. We informed him that we were carrying a pregnant lady and thus required first preference,” said the family members, adding that the verbal brat took ugly shape and the cop engaged in quarrel with them.
In the incident, the cop and the family of four including two women received injuries.
“Since the incident had taken place under the police post he was posted at, the cop called at the naka point and got their car stopped. The naka party at Bathindi, however, sensing the situation of the pregnant woman let them go but after brief delay,” the family claimed.
They said that later they were booked by police for beating the cop on duty.
The video was shared on large scale prompting the police to issue a clarification in this connection, terming the allegations as baseless.
Selection Grade Constable Manzoor Hussain was brutally beaten up at Bhatindi for allegedly not giving way to a car in which the accused were travelling along with a woman patient to a hospital, a police spokesman said.
Refuting allegations of the family of one of the accused that the policemen stopped their car for nearly two hours causing undue delay in the shifting of the patient, the spokesman said the car was cleared immediately by the policemen at the checkpoint.
“It is reported that a video has been uploaded on Facebook page in which family members of one accused has been seen making baseless allegations against Bathindi Police. They alleged that police stopped their car for 2 hours at the Naka and they could not reach Hospital on time as a result.
“It is clarified that on April 5, at around 9:35 pm, Selection grade constable Manzoor Hussain of PP Bhatindi while on duty was beaten brutally by one Faisal, and three others at Mominabad.
“In this regard a Case vide FIR 103/2020 u/s 353/382/323/271/188/34 IPC stands registered at Police Station Bahu Fort,” the spokesman said.
During the course of investigation, he said it was found that the car being used by the policeman was stuck in the road due to heavy rain.
While he was trying to take his car out, two-three persons came out of another passing car, hurled abuses and brutally assaulted him for not giving way to their car bearing registration number JK02 AB 1999 and left him injured on the spot, the spokesman said.
Subsequently, he said the car was stopped at the next checkpoint as the area was under lockdown.
During checking it was found that there was one woman patient aboard due to which they were allowed to move to the SMGS Hospital immediately.
The car reached the hospital in about 20 minutes no delay in reaching the hospital happened due to checking, the spokesman said, adding investigation of the case is going on.
This scribe, when apprised SSP Jammu Shridhar Patil of the issue, he said that an investigation will be conducted from some other police station so that truth behind the incident comes to fore.