Rudrapur, July 30 -- Residents of Swala village in Champawat district have barred journalists, vloggers and YouTubers from entering the village without prior permission, due to portrayals of the settlement as allegedly "haunted", people aware of the matter said. "Mediapersons, vloggers and YouTubers visit our village and describe it as a ghost or haunted village in a bid to increase views. Continuous negative reporting has maligned the image of our village and its residents," said Lalita Bhatt, the village's head. The settlement has witnessed a gradual decline in population despite the availability of fertile agricultural land and sufficient forest resources. The deserted nature of the village, residents said, led to it becoming associated with numerous legends of allegedly supernatural phenomena. According to local accounts, a vehicle carrying personnel of the 8th battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Bareilly, fell into a gorge near the village around four decades ago. Several jawans were reportedly killed. The bulk of legends surrounding the village centre on this incident, said residents. Following the incident, people reported sounds, screams and knocking on doors at night and other phenomena associated with the supernatural. Locals said they sought refuge in the worship of a local deity in an attempt to ward off allegedly supernatural disturbances. Activist Ishwari Datt Bhatt, however, rejected claims that supernatural beliefs led to the village's abandonment. "There is nothing like that. Our villagers continued cultivating crops and vegetables even after the fatal incident. The lack of irrigation and other basic facilities eventually led to people shifting to another place," he said....