Nowshera ADC row: Man attempts self-immolation

JAMMU : The ongoing agitation for the appointment of separate Additional Deputy Commissioner for Nowshera town in Rajouri district today took an ugly turn when one of the protestors attempted to immolate himself, however, unsuccessful.

On Wednesday afternoon, while the agitators were having their lunch within the office premises of Sub Divisional Magistrate at Nowshera, one of the protestors, identified as Rohit Kohli poured kerosene on his body and made a bid to self-immolate.

The policemen on duty acted timely and foiled the bid, police said.


The protestor, a member of the joint action committee, spearheading the now 33-day-long agitation in Nowshera, suffered minor burn injuries and was rushed to a local hospital, before shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu.

“His condition was stable, but as a precautionary measure, also considering that he had consumed some kerosene, we decided to refer him to Government Medical College Hospital at Jammu,” said BMO, Nowshera, Dr Liaquat Hussain.

Since February 16, people of Nowshera, Sunderbani and Kalakote have been protesting, demanding separate ADCs for their respective tehsils, intensified after the Government had appointed an ADC in nearby Kotranka tehsil.

The locals demanded appointment of separate ADC for all the four tehsils or declaration of district status by clubbing the four regions. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Government had ordered appointment of two ADCs for two tehsils each on rotational basis but the exercise was outrightly rejected by the residents of Rajouri district.