Srinagar, 19 August 2011: Reports said that Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and policemen beat up photojournalists identified as Showkat Shafi and Narciso Contreras, while they were covering protest demonstrations in Nowhatta in Srinagar. They are being held inside Nowhatta police station, eyewitnesses said.
Narciso Contreras, who works for California-based Zuma Press, and Showkat Shafi, a stringer with Al-Jazeera English website, say they were targeted in Srinagar on Friday
Two photojournalists, including a foreign national on Friday were detained, beaten to pulp by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and policemen during pro-freedom demonstrations in Srinagar.
Eyewitnesses told media men that Showkat Shafi, who works as a freelancer with Al Jazeera and his Mexcian friend and Zuma photojournalist Narciso were thrashed to the pulp and later detained by the joint team of CRPF and police personnel, when the duo were covering stone pelting protests in Nowhatta area of the old City this afternoon.
The photojournalists, they said, were dragged by the forces to the police station Nowhatta, where they were detained illegally for over five hours.
Both the photographers received serious injuries due to the beating. They were rushed to the SMHS hospital by their colleagues when released by police in half-dead condition.
“We were performing our professional duty, when a contingent of CRPF men intercepted us in a lane. Without saying a word they pounced on us. They not only abused us, but beat us with bamboo sticks and gun butts for over 15 minutes,” a visibly shocked Shafi told this correspondent at the SMHS hospital, where he was brought by his colleagues. The doctors at the hospital later referred Shafi to Soura Institute of medical sciences for specialized treatment.
“We were later dragged to the police station. For 5 hours, we were detained. The cops didn’t even stop beating us inside the police station,” he added. The forces, he said were furious with their coverage of the protests. “We were released in half-dead state. My friend has suffered multiple injuries in the forces action,” he said.
Nirseco said that besides beating me ruthlessly police persons took away Rs 5000 from his bag in police station.