Clashes in Kathua after Police stops illegal const
Sumit Sharma. Updated: 5/18/2018 10:33:13 AM
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7 cops, BSP leaders among several injured
JAMMU: The law and order situation worsened in district Kathua after police, on the direction of the District Magistrate (DM) Kathua, resorted to cane charge and shelling teargas against a mob which started stone pelting after their bid to encroach a primly located piece of 9 kanal state land was foiled.
During police action and stone pelting, several persons including seven cops and BSP leaders including party’s president namely Somnath Magotra also received injuries.
The incident took place late evening hours at Nag Nagar, situated in close vicinity of Kathua Bus Stand, where some people were constructing religious structure.
The matter was reported to the District Magistrate, Kathua Rohit Khajuria who directed the police to stop the initiate by encroachers and also to get construction dismantled as it was being constructed on state land illegally.
According to eyewitnesses, as per protocol, hundreds of people present on the construction site were asked by the police to vacate the spot but the people instead of giving ear to police’s caution, resorted to stone pelting at police party. Initially police used constrained but later police resorted to lathi charge and also fired some tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
“Several persons including seven cops and BSP leaders including party’s president namely Somnath Magotra also received injuries during the ding dong battle between the two sides,” sources said.
Eyewitnesses added that the construction of temple dedicated to Guru Nabha Dass was in progress when police reached on the spot.
Meanwhile injured were hospitalized in District Hospital Kathua. A case in this connection was yet to be registered by Kathua police when last reports poured in.
“Some vested interest persons were making the market in the name of the temple on state land.
“District Administration had already asked them to desist from the illegal practice of encroaching government land,” said DC Kathua Rohit Khajuria when contacted by The News Now.