He misbehaved, and even then we let his vehicle pass after five minutes, says Police
Wadoo apart from India has played for J&K Police FC and clubs like Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City
Srinagar: Ace footballer from Jammu and Kashmir, Mehraj Uddin Wadoo, who has represented team India on an international platform, has said that he was assaulted and abused by the Police in Srinagar.
Wadoo who is currently the assistant coach of Hyderabad FC, according to him, was physically assaulted, abused and then taken into the police custody, and kept there for over two hours.
Wadoo took to social media to write that “some officers are treating people like animals”.
Speaking to Free Press Kashmir, Wadoo said that this morning he received a call that his mother is in a critical condition, so he rushed to see her.
“I was stopped at Budshah Chowk but when I told them about my urgency, I was allowed to pass. But I was stopped again and dragged out of my vehicle by the police a little distance ahead,” said Wadoo adding, “I told the SHO about my mother’s critical condition but his response was shocking.”
“He told me ‘if your mother is dying, let her die’,” Wadoo says.
Wadoo added that his vehicle was then driven to the Police Station Maisuma and after being physically assaulted and abused at the check point he was also taken into the police custody.
“I was kept there for almost two hours and only once was I allowed to make me a call, after which they allowed me to go,” he says.
The Station House Officer of the concerned police station, Zahoor Turk maintains that these allegations are baseless and that they have no reason to treat someone like this.
“The allegations as baseless,” Turk said, adding “anyone can post on social media, we can’t stop anyone from doing that can we? The fact remains that the person misbehaved and even then we let the person’s vehicle pass after five minutes.”
Wadoo apart from J&K Police FC has played for clubs like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Salgaocar, Pune City and Mumbai City.
“If they treat a person who has served the country this way, then what would they do to other people,” Wadoo says.
Wadoo made international headlines when he scored the winning goal for India against Bangladesh in the SAFF Cup finals at Karachi in December 2005.
He was also a member of the Indian squad that won Nehru Cup 2007, the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 and the Nehru Cup in 2009.
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