KATHUA: Nine persons, including five cops, were injured on Monday in clashes between the people belonging to two communities in Kathua district, following which three persons have been arrested.
There were clashes between the people belonging to two communities over some issue in Haria Chak border area of the district, police officials said.
Police had to resort to cane charging and teargas shelling to bring the situation under control, they said. Additional police force has been deployed in the area to maintain calm, they added.
SSP Kathua Pawan Parihar said that situation has been brought to normal and investigation into the incident initiated.
According to sources, trouble started when rumors of a calf slaughtering incident spread in village Haria Chak of Tehsil Hiranagar as a result of which a large crowd from Chadwal belt came on the National Highway and blocked it for over six-hours.
There was strong resentment among the protesters saying that it has become routine for miscreants to play with the sentiments of a particular community, now and then. They added that the people of the area have been repeatedly raising voice against the bovine smuggling and theft cases, nevertheless police and administration failed to curb the menace.
Following the message of protest and injury to nine persons including five cops, DDC Kathua Ramesh Kumar, SSP Pawan besides Ajay Jamwal SHO Rajbagh, and other officers rushed to the spot with police force. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were imposed by Sub Divisional Magistrate Hiranagar Sohan Lal in the area.
Deputy Commissioner assured the people that soon others would also be arrested. Appealing people to maintain peace , he said that the police would not allow anyone to create law and order problem in the area. A case under FIR No 5/295 A 298 A 120 B RPC has been registered at Police Station Raj Bagh for investigation.
Meanwhile, former Minister and Member Legislative Assembly, Aijaz Ahmad Khan also condemned the despicable incident at Harya Chak in district Kathua where some disruptive elements tried to trigger communal flare-up.
In a statement, Khan urged the people to maintain calm, unity and harmony and not allow the wicked elements to disturb the peaceful environment in the Jammu region. He said repeated and desperate attempts have been made in the past as well to flare-up communal passions in Jammu region and pitch one community against the other.
“We should all remain cautious of the nefarious designs of such anti-people elements to foil their shameful acts of disrupting peace and fueling violence,” he said and added that the Government should take action against the elements responsible for such odious actions.
He has appealed the State Government to initiate prompt administrative steps to ensure that situation is not blown out of proportion to give it a communal shape. Mr Khan added that people of Jammu have always stood by secular values and hopes that their faith in Law will uphold this trait.
Terming it a deliberate attempt of some elements with vested interests he has appealed the public to maintain calm and harmony while law will take its own course.