The Army has rolled out fresh measures to reach out to the locals in Pir Panjal valley, which has turned into a new battleground in Jammu and Kashmir, and started its initiative by adopting Topa Pir village, where three civilians allegedly died due to torture in custody recently, as a model village.
The Army has adopted Topa Pir village in Poonch district as a model village under the Sadbhavana scheme, an Army spokesman said. The village hit the headlines after a video of alleged torture of civilians went viral in December last year, in the wake of four soldiers being killed in an ambush by militants in Dera Ki Gali area on December 21. Three civilians were found dead after they were taken into custody for questioning by the Army.
The incident evoked widespread criticism and dented the goodwill among the Gujjars and Bakarwals, who mainly inhabit areas close to the Line of Control (LoC) in the region. Three Army officers, including the Brigadier in-charge, were attached until pending inquiry after the incident.
