Srinagar, Nov 13: A journalist who was covering Muharram processions in Srinagar city of Indian administered Kashmir Wednesday was run over by a police vehicle.
Video-journalist Hilal Ahmed who works with Delhi based ANI news agency was injured on Wednesday afternoon when a senior police official who was himself driving a combat vehicle, hit him and then ran his vehicle over him.
Eyewitnesses said Hilal was covering a Muharram procession which was forcibly being dispersed by Kashmir police when the incident happened. “He (Hilal) was walking towards one side of the road when the Rakshak combat car came from behind and hit him,” a journalist who was covering the Muharram procession said.
“We pleaded the police official who ran over Hilal to lend his vehicle so that we could takehim to hospital. But he refused,” the journalist who didn’t wish to be named fearing reprisal by police told.
Hilal was later taken in a private car to to Bones and Joints Hospital in Srinagar where doctors detected a fracture in his leg which was operated and his condition is reported to be stable.
Sources told media that the police official who ran his vehicle over Hilal was earlier involved in a similar case of assault on Azhar Qadri, a journalist working with Chandigarh based newspaper The Tribune. The police had promised to take action against the official at that time.
The journalist fraternity in Kashmir expressed shock over the incident and demanded action against the erring police officer.(webdesk)
