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HT journalists beaten up by angry mob in north Kashmir
An angry mob, protesting against poor rescue operation after a bus carrying 53 children fell into a gorge in north Kashmir, attacked the Hindustan Times team, beating up principle correspondent Peerzada Ashiq and photojournalist Waseem Andrabi.
An angry mob, protesting against poor rescue operation after a bus carrying 53 children fell into a gorge in north Kashmir, attacked the Hindustan Times team, beating up principle correspondent Peerzada Ashiq and photojournalist Waseem Andrabi.
An irate mob stopped the HT reporters near Baba Reshi bus stand around 2.30pm when they were on the way to reach the accident spot.
Three people died and more than 50 people were injured, mainly students from a Kupwara school when a bus fell into a gorge in north Kashmir.
Angry protesters tried to lynch Ashiq and tore his clothes, while the photojournalist was repeatedly kicked and punched in face and abdomen.
The locals were angry about the media failure to report about poor condition of roads and health care in the area.
“Why have you come now? Why did you fail to report our bad roads and poor healthcare?” said an angry protester who disembarked the HT journalists and chased them with sticks in their hands.
Ashiq was dragged by shirt till it was torn into pieces. Neither the police nor the CRPF came to rescue the HT team.
The fleeing HT journalists could not find any police patrol up to Tangmarg, six km from the site of the accident. The car, in
which HT was travelling, was allowed to move only after one hour when the police chased the mob.
A report has been lodged with the Police Station Tangmarg to investigate the matter and look into non-existence of police from the entire stretch.
