Two women in Kashmir have been run over by Indian Army vehicles in a span of just four days. The incidents took place on 10 July 2021 and 14 July 2021, respectively. On 10 July, a woman identified as Rohi Jan, wife of Aabid Ahmad of Kharibari village of Shopian, was hit by an Indian Army vehicle at Kaddar in Kulgam. An official informed the Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the woman suffered critical injuries after getting hit and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Medical Superintendent, District Hospital Kulgam, Dr. Muzafar Zargar informed that the woman was declared dead on arrival.
Four days later, on 14 July, an elderly woman identified as Gul Jani, wife of Abdul Rehman, a resident of Aragam village of Bandipora was run over by an Indian Army Stallion truck in the Nadihal village of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. According to local sources, at around 1:30 PM that afternoon, a convoy of trucks was passing through the area when one truck ran over the old woman leading to her immediate death.
Local police rushed to the spot, recovered the woman’s body from beneath the truck, and shifted it to a hospital for completion of medico-legal formalities. “In this regard, a case FIR under relevant sections of law has been registered and the vehicle has also been seized. Further investigation of the case is going on,” a police official said. When asked about the status of the FIR, police spokesperson, Superintendent Manoj Pandita of the Jammu and Kashmir police responded by saying that he cannot speak on the matter.
Locals have demanded stringent action be taken against the army personnel involved in the accidents. When asked if there is any truth to the allegations that the army personnel driving the vehicle was under the influence of alcohol, Defence Spokesperson, Srinagar, Lieutenant Colonel Emron Musavi responded by saying, “It (the case) is under investigation and appropriate action as per law will be taken.”