Jammu : While resentment is bereaving among the general population of this mountainous region against the administration and project construction companies, police has questioned more than 50 youth for staging a protest demonstration outside district hospital, here, following a mishap killing two persons and injuries to around 12 others.
Official sources said that police registered an FIR, without naming anyone, following a complaint by the Superintendent of District Hospital Kishtwar against the protesters who raised slogans against administration and local MLAs following a mishap near Pakal Dul project site resulting death of two labourers and injuries to eleven others.
“Based on the video footage police has brought in around 50 youngsters so far for questioning. The list is long and we will bring more people for ascertaining their role in the protest demonstration”, sources claimed, “No one has been arrested so far but investigation is under process”.
Those who have been called for questioning so far included family members and relatives of deceased, political leaders and social activists, who were present in the protest. “The administration knows that no criminal act was done while holding the protest but the authorities seems to be under some kind of pressure to act”, one of them, who preferred not to be named, said.
Leader of opposition in Union Territory and Member Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma had sought action against the protesters alleging that such demonstrations were politically motivated.
Local residents on the other hand claimed that the entire exercise is vindictive and aimed at silencing dissent. “The family members and relatives, joined by local residents, staged protest only as the administration has not been able to address either the alleged negligence of these companies or the shortfall in the healthcare facilities in the hospital”, Arshad Ahmed, a local resident said adding, “By booking these protesters under panel provisions the administration wants to ensure that nobody dares to speak either against these companies or the administration in future”.
The family members of those who died in the mishap alleged that the administration wanted to simply record the mishap as that of a road accident thereby giving clean chit to the construction companies to ensure that they not either criminally liable or accountable to compensate. “It was only after the protest that the administration assured that victim families are compensated”, Shabir, a relative of one of the victims said.
