Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, Oct 17: General public present in Marine area today were shocked and scared to see two truck full of armed Army Jawans, looking for someone. It appeared like Army Jawans were looking for some hardcore terrorists at Marine Jetty area.
When it was investigated, it came to the light that the Armed Army Jawans were looking for a civilian family, who had lodged a complaint against an Army Lt. Colonel at Havelock Island yesterday, after the Lt. Colonel attacked and injured an old man at Havelock Jetty.
Instead of feeling sorry, it seems, the Lt. Colonel had decided to show his power and called Armed Army Jawans in two defence trucks.
According to civilian family, yesterday, at Havelock, a 76 year old man namely A K Sreedharan, was attacked and injured by the Lt Colonel, Martand Misra, when the old man asked the Lt. Colonel not to jump the queue at around 4.00 pm.
“When my father asked them to maintain the queue, the Lt Colonel attacked my father in front of everyone yesterday,” Son of the old man said.
“I too had a fight with the Lt Colonel yesterday after which we were taken to the Havelock Police Station,” son of the old man said.
The son of the old man further alleged that to take personal revenge from the family, the Lt Colonel who was also on the ferry and was coming back to Port Blair, called a huge force of Army Jawans with weapons at the Marine Jetty.
“Anyhow we managed to escape from the spot with the help of Sub- Inspector, Ravindran, CISF and Police personnel of Aberdeen Police Station but the group of the Lt Colonel reached to our medical shop situated at Haddo and asked our staffs about us and also left a message for us that they will find us and break our legs as well as hand and if required will also kill us,” said Mr Sanjay MS son of the old man.
It is also learnt that the Police has now given protection to the family members of the old man.
The old man who suffered serious eye injuries yesterday is presently discharged from the GB Pant Hospital and is recovering well.
When Andaman Sheekha contacted the Command PRO, Colonel Yogesh Sharma he said that they have got some other input about the whole matter and they are ascertaining the facts as per their mechanism.
But the million dollar question is can an Army Officer use Armed forces to threaten civilians.
Now it will be interesting to see whether the Andaman Nicobar Command will initiate any action against the Lt Colonel for misusing his power or the command will try to safeguard his officer.
However, the State General Secretary, Telugu Desam Party, Mr Aziz-Ur-Rehman and the family members have said that they will be writing letters to the Defense Minister and Home Minister about such intolerable action of a Senior Defense Officer.
Sadly, while some Defence Jawans are making us proud with successful Surgical Strikes, some officers are bringing shame to entire Defence Forces with such illegal act.
Alleged violence committed on a senior citizen and what followed later amounts to vulgar display of muscle power, misuse of official position and machinery. The incident must be probed and those guilty punished.
Proud to be an avid reader of Andaman Sheekha, since you have boldly brought in the facts to the mass. Please take up this matter further to the national print and television media ASAP, so that the poor Senior citizen gets his due justice.
Shameful act by men in uniform.
I pity the Jawans who came to fight with a 76 year old man without knowing any reason or facts. That’s how they r trained, to follow orders of seniors without questions to fight enemies. But this disgraceful incident has raised many questions for the army to answer. Strict action should be initiated against the guilty.