Failed marriage behind cunning revenge plot that rocked Legislative Assembly

Kathua family plans sacrilege to have rivals fixed up by people, police; 4 booked

SUMIT SHARMA & ZAFAR CHOUDHARY

KATHUA: The alleged act of sacrilege that saw the Legislative Assembly adjourned twice after the Opposition Members created unprecedented uproar and some of them declared Jammu region unsafe for Muslims was a cunningly conceived plot of tribal family against the other to avenge a failed marriage.
While the House was on lunch break after Chief Minister’s reply to the adjournment motion on Kashmir turmoil, a student leader brought to the notice of some National Conference Members the issue of ransack in Muslim dominated Harya Chack village of Kathua district. As House reconvened to take up discussion on Motion of Thanks on Governor’s Address, National Conference veteran Mian Altaf Ahmed stood up to draw Chair’s attention towards the situation. Even before Altaf could finish the ‘point of information’ the whole Opposition was on their feet expressing concern over the ‘communal atmosphere’. A round of allegations, counter-allegation and provocations nearly led to a free for all situation.
Thankfully, the fallout of sacrilegious act remained confined to the Legislative Assembly and it didn’t spiral out as communal issue in the region. The story behind ‘sacrilegious act’ is as interesting as much shameful. A bit of credit must also go to the Kathua Police and district administration for having been able to crack the issue soon enough even as the smoke is still in the air.
The story goes back to a failed marriage between one Maskeen’s sister to the son of his close relative namely Sharief –the former a resident of Harya Chak in Marheen tehsil and latter from Rajbagh Sunjwan in Kathua district. The marriage, however, didn’t work out well as Maskeen sister dumped Sharief’s son Showkat alias Shoku and ran away.
Before Sharief’s sons conceived an idea which proved nearly fatal for Maskeen’s family, both families have fought against each other for four years. They moved the Police also but a formal complaint was never sought to be registered as the local community and village leaders several times intervened to have the matter resolved.
These four years of rivalry saw Maskeen’s sister marrying someone else and in the meanwhile Shoku also got married again. But there was neither the divorce nor the reunion of previous marriages. Drawing their anger from the false self esteem and victimhood, respectively, Sharief’s and Maskeen’s family continued to fight. There were many a hits and fixes before Sharief’s son conceived the time tested idea –framing Maskeen’s family on a religious violation.
Late last night the Sharief group caught a young calf roaming unattended in Rajbagh area. They took it to a stream close to Harya Chak and slaughtered it. The limps and torso were left behind –of no use to them –and clandestinely brought the head and put it in the courtyard of Sharief’s house. Police said Shoku then called Puppy, an RSS member and local Sarpanch, informing him of ‘sacrilegious act committed by Makeen’s family’.
The modus operandi behind the criminal conspiracy was to have Maskeen’s family dealt with at the hands of people of majority community and then have him booked for the crime. The news of alleged cow slaughter spread like a wild fire after some local people noticed beheaded body of a cow calf lying in Bhaag Nallah and its head at the residence of one Maskeen.
The situation took an ugly turn when some locals of the area barged into the residence of one Haji Alam Din and damaged his belongings following which stone pelting from both the sides. Their act ultimately triggered protest and clash between two communities, resulting injuries to nine persons, besides damage to the property worth lakhs.
Due to the stone pelting, around nine persons including the PSO of the SDPO Border namely Sourabh son of Madan Lal sustained injuries. He was, however, rushed to the district Hospital Kathua for treatment.
To quell the protests, Police resorted to cane charging and teargas shelling. Later, additional police force was deployed in the area to maintain calm. In the stone pelting incident, three cars bearing registration numbers PBo6J/3022, DL2cAA/0784 and JK08D/5122 were also tortured and damaged.
Soon after having information, DIG Jammu Ashkoor Wani, SSP Kathua Pawan Parihar,DC Kathua Ramesh Kumar along with some other police officers rushed to the spot and pacified the protestors. They assured them that accused would be booked under law as investigation is on.
While police was busy in tackling the stone palters, hundreds of people from dissimilar villages of Chadwal belt, majority are of BJP workers led by the BJP leader Yashbharti, came on National Highway and blocked the same for more than six-hours, resulting , the traffic at both the ends of the highway remained stranded making commuters to face dissimilar problems.
The National Highway was also remaining blocked at Raj Bagh by the Shiv Sainiks led by its vice president Naresh Kumar. The highway which remained blocked from 11 am was finally opened at 5:30 pm.
“Section 144 of Cr PC in the Hiranagar sub-division has been imposed. The move came in the wake of apprehension that some miscreants/ anti-social elements may try to disturb the peace and tranquility in the Sub Division which may disturb the safety and security of the people at large”, said DC Kathua Ramesh Kumar.
While normalcy was restored in the area, MLA Langate Er Rashid after relieving from Legislative Assembly rushed towards the Harya Chak with his workers. He was, however, intercepted by police at Vijaypur.
“The investigation in the case is on. However, four persons have been arrested so far”, said SSP Kathua Pawan Parihar told The News Now.
Four persons have been booked in case FIR No 5/2017 U/S 295A, 120, RPC at the Police Station Rajbagh for hatching criminal conspiracy. They have been identified as Sharif son of Shams Din, Mohammad Ali son of Yusuf, Sultsan son of Ali Mohammad and Mohammad Iqbal son of Mohammad Ibraham while hunt to arrest the two absconding sons, including Shoku, of Sharif is on.