| 2 guards beaten by forest land encroachers, held hostage | | | M S Nazki
Early Times Report
MENDHAR, Jan 14 : Two forest guards were given a severe beating and then held hostage overnight by at least six persons who were stopped by them to encroach upon a forest land by way of clandestinely making an approach road to Chhugan here.
Forest guards - Zahir Ahmad, Munawar Hussain, Mushtaq Ahmad and Irfan Ahmad - Tuesday night received an information through a source that some people were encroaching upon the forest land by way of carving out a road through compartment No 176 to connect Nabna with Chhugan.
They brought the matter to the notice of forest range officer, Mendhar, Javed Iqbal, who, in turn, asked them to rush to the spot and get the work stopped, official sources said. The guards and the range officer, accompanied by police, then reached the spot and seized the JCB which was being used in the road construction. While the men fled, the JCB was seized, the sources added.
After issuing instructions to the four guards, the range officer and police left the spot. Sources said while the guards were keeping a watch in the area, six Chhugan residents, including one Mohammad Rashid, came there and attacked them. While Mushtaq and Irfan fled, they caught hold of Zahir and Munawar and gave them a severe beating, sources said.
The accused then allegedly abducted both of them and locked them inside a room in the house of Mohammad Zaman at Chhugan at about11 pm. It was at about 6 am today when they, finding an opportunity, managed to make good their escape, the sources added. After escaping, the duo contacted the other two guards and the foursome then submitted to their range officer a detailed report of the last night's incident.
The guards later alleged that the range officer had yet not approached Mendhar police for lodging an FIR against the accused.
Poonch DFO Naveed Iqbal said he would initiate an inquiry into the incident in case it was proved that there was delay on the part of the range officer to register an FIR against the accused. |
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