Army orders inquiry after university professor claims assault by troops in J-K's Rajouri
Rajouri/Jammu, Apr 18 (PTI): The Indian Army on Friday ordered an inquiry after a university professor accused the troops of assaulting him during checking of vehicles at a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said.
Police have also registered an FIR against unidentified army personnel, they said.
Former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti condemned the incident and said “such individuals tarnish the reputation of a respected institution through their unacceptable and high-handed behaviour”.
The professor, Liaqat Ali, suffered head injuries in the alleged assault near the border village of Laam late on Thursday night. A video purportedly showing the bleeding professor has surfaced online.
“An incident has come to light wherein certain individuals were allegedly manhandled by army personnel in Rajouri district. The army had inputs on the likely movement of terrorists in a vehicle in this sensitive area. Accordingly, search operations were being conducted.
“Preliminary information suggests that on being stopped, the individual tried to snatch weapons from the soldiers on duty, with whom he got into a scuffle. However, an inquiry has been initiated. Should any personnel be found guilty of misconduct, strict action will be taken in accordance with the existing law,” the army said in a statement in Jammu.
It said the army remains steadfast in upholding the highest standards of professionalism and discipline in the conduct of counter-terror operations.
“All sections of society are requested to continue to cooperate and collaborate with the Indian Army for collective and comprehensive security in this sensitive area,” the statement said.
The alleged incident took place when Ali and some of his relatives, including his cousin brothers serving in the army and ITBP, were returning to Kalakote after attending the pre-wedding ceremony of one of their relatives.
Officials said an FIR under Sections 126(2) dealing with crime of wrongful restraint and 115(2) -- voluntarily causing hurt -- of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the Nowshera police station against unidentified army personnel for a thorough investigation.
Ali, a professor at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) posted in Delhi, wrote a post on X claiming he was "assaulted" without any reason.
“My entire family is in the army. I've always been proud of that. Proud of the uniform, the service, the sacrifice. But today, what I experienced shook that pride to the core. Without any reason, without any question, I was assaulted -- hit on the head with a weapon by the very people I once trusted blindly," Ali said in the post that also had a picture showing him bleeding.
“It made me realise one terrifying truth: if the system chooses to, it can 'encounter' any human being -- without evidence, without trial, without justice. There's no apology that can undo this wound. Only one haunting question remains -- has justice now become the privilege of the uniform alone?” the professor wrote.
Ali got nearly half-a-dozen stitches to close his wound besides undergoing necessary tests at the Government Medical College (GMC) in Jammu.
“I was sitting inside the vehicle when army personnel came and asked for my identity. I came out of the vehicle as a matter of respect to show my identity card but they started beating me with their weapons,” the professor told reporters.
He said he saw his younger brother, who is in ITBP, also knocked to the ground along with him.
“The army is our country’s pride… I want nobody to be treated like this and justice be given to me,” Ali said.
Mehbooba Mufti, in a post on X, urged the army to take immediate and strict action against those responsible for this “shocking incident”.
“Such individuals tarnish the reputation of a respected institution through their unacceptable and high-handed behaviour,” she said.
Former J-K BJP president Ravinder Raina assured the professor of justice and said “law of the land is supreme and nobody in India is above the law. Whosoever made it happen, have to face the consequences...”
Deeply disturbing visuals have emerged from Lam in Nowshera where army personnel were seen mercilessly assaulting Professor Liyaqat Chowdary. The professor accompanied by his brothers was en route to attend his sister’s wedding when the incident occurred. This shocking act has… pic.twitter.com/q7WQM5MAFU
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) April 18, 2025
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Dense fog envelops Delhi-NCR; air quality remains 'very poor'
New Delhi (PTI): Dense fog enveloped large parts of Delhi-NCR on Thursday morning, significantly reducing visibility and disrupting traffic across the region.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), dense fog conditions prevailed over the city based on the 6 am observation. Visibility at Palam Airport dropped sharply to 150 metres, while Safdarjung Airport reported visibility of 200 metres.
The dense fog affected road traffic in several areas, with vehicles seen moving slowly on major arterial roads and highways connecting Delhi with neighbouring cities, such as Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Noida. Morning commuters faced delays as low visibility prompted motorists to exercise caution.
According to the officials, the current visibility at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Palam is 100 metres. General visibility is expected to increase to 150 metres in the next 30 minutes and will gradually improve thereafter. No further reductions are expected.
Weather officials said foggy conditions are likely to persist during early mornings in the coming days as winter intensifies. The IMD has forecast dense fog on Thursday and Friday.
Meanwhile, air quality in the national capital remained in the 'very poor' category, with the air quality index (AQI) recorded at 358, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
On the weather front, the minimum temperature in the national capital settled at 9.0 degrees Celsius, which is 0.9 notches above the season's average. The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 23 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.
The relative humidity was recorded at 100 per cent at 8.30 am.
As per the CPCB classification, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'.
