DySP, SHOs among 24 injured in violence

Curfew has been imposed and army staged flag march in Raya Morh, Jakh and Swankha Morh areas and along Jammu-Pathankot National Highway in Vijaypur tehsil of Samba district after the mob went on rampage over the issue of alleged sacrilegious act, this evening.

At-least two dozen persons including nine cops were injured while half-a-dozen vehicles including official vehicle of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Samba Sheetal Nanda were burnt after the mob went berserk over the issue of alleged sacrilegious act in Raya Morh area of Vijaypur this evening. They stoned the vehicles plying on the highway and torched the vehicle parked along the road side at highway and link roads connecting the highway.

The Deputy Commissioner have to take refuge in a house to save her life with her PSO was injured while saving her. Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Vijaypur DySP Shamsher Singh Sambyal suffered fracture in his left hand, left leg of SHO Police Station Ramgarh Inspector Shiv Dev Singh was also fractured due to stone pelting by the irate mob while SHO Police Station Vijaypur Rajeshwar Singh besides six other cops sustained injuries in the clashes. Over a dozen protestors including Sarpanch of Jakh Bholla suffered wounds.

It is notable to mention here that some villagers recovered headless torso of an animal from a nallah in Maroodi nallah near Jakh this evening. They assembled along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway at Jakh and started protest demanding arrest of the culprit involved in the alleged sacrilegious act. They stressed that DC Samba should visit the spot. While DC Samba was on way to the protest site, the agitated people intercepted her vehicle on the highway and started pelting stones. The DC came out of the vehicle and took shelter in a house to save her life while her PSO sustained wounds in melee. The vehicle of ADC was also attacked by angry mob.

The protestors then blocked Jammu-Pathankot National Highway at around 6.30 PM at Raya Morh. Some of the protestors started targeting the Kashmir bound vehicles of particular community. The cops prevented them from targeting the valley based vehicles after which they started pelting stones upon the cops. The cops resorted to cane charge and tear smoke shells to disperse the mob but the situation turned more violent as they stoned several vehicles on the highway. The violent mob torched a truck bearing registration number JK02AL-3185 and several motorcycles on the highway and two cars on Raya Morh road.

At-least two dozen persons including nine cops were injured. They stoned the vehicles plying on the highway and torched the vehicle parked along the road side at highway and link roads connecting the highway.

SSP Samba and ASP Samba alongwith contingents of police and para military forces rushed to the protest sites. The protests spread to Swankha Morh and Jakh areas where hundreds of villagers came on the roads and started targeting the vehicles and police. The vehicular traffic was stopped by the police on the highway till midnight as precautionary measures. Additional forces from Jammu also rushed to Vijaypur as the situation remain tense till midnight.

However, curfew was imposed and army staged flag march in Raya Morh, Jakh and Swankha Morh areas and along Jammu-Pathankot National Highway in Vijaypur tehsil of Samba district.

Huge traffic jam was witnessed on both sides of the highway and after midnight the traffic was restored on the highway in presence of police and army.

The educational institutions will remain closed in Samba district on Friday.