Upanagar locals shudder to recall police station rampage

NASHIK: The attack on the Upanagar police station on Wednesday allegedly by some army personnel left case-hardened inspector Namrata Desai in as much shock as Class X student Omkar Mand, who had seen violence in films but never in real life.
“Almost from nowhere, at least 150 army personnel riding around 100 bikes swooped down on the police station and went on the rampage.It was a terrifying experience. Being a daughter of an army officer, I feel sorry about their behaviour,” said Desai, the inspector of the Upanagar police station.
Omkar’s version of what unfolded in front of his eyes was equally terrifying. “I was waiting for a friend at a corner of the road when I saw the army personnel on their bikes accelerating into the area and screeching to a halt in front of the police station. They then rushed inside the police station and started damaging whatever they could lay their hands on. They were screaming and hurling abuses at the police. Even a few seconds ago, the area was silent. I was scared and stood still till the incident got over,” added the student of a private school located nearby.
“If the police are themselves not safe, who can guarantee our safety? I saw the police officials being pulled up and thrown aside,” said Hemant Kale, a Class XII student.
Nitin Chaudhary, also a Class XII student, said he got to know about the incident from television news and also his friends in the Upanagar area. “I immediately rushed to the area to find out what has happened. And what I saw was disturbing. Everything was damaged. By then, a huge crowd had gathered. And everyone was scared,” he added.
Till late evening, the residents were yet to recover from the shock left from the trail of destruction at the police station. “It was around 2.20pm when the school adjoining the police station was about to get over that 150 armymen rushed towards the police station. Initially I thought there must be some drill. But to my utter disbelief, they immediately started pelting stones, kicking two wheelers and jumping from one four wheeler to another parked outside the police station,” said the owner of a small-time shop.
“They started throwing the flower pots and whatever they found. They beat up the police officials who came in their way. The entire rampage lasted for about 20 minutes and I could do nothing but stand as a mute witness. The army officials also tried to overturn the police mobile van, but by then the students from school had started coming out of the premises,” the woman in her sixties still shuddered as she recalled the incident to TOI.
Yogesh Kale, a gym instructor in the neighbourhood said, “The army that takes care of the nation’s security is targeting the police who maintain law and order and ensure the local’ safety. This is a disturbing incident,” he said.
Mangesh More, an entrepreneur, said, “Such incidents should not occur. We respect both the army and the police. It is understood that the police should show some understanding towards a complainant. But the rampage is not expected of the army.”
Around 150 army personnel allegedly vandalized the Upanagar police station on Wednesday afternoon, injuring three policemen, one of them seriously. The attack came a day after an army officer was booked by the police for parking his bike in front of the police station. The process of registering a case against the armymen was going on till late in the evening.
I saw the army personnel on their bikes entering the area. They rushed inside the police station and started damaging whatever they could lay their hands on. They were screaming and hurling abuses at the police. Omkar Mand | class x student