ASI suspended, several persons rounded up for questioning
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: While two youth of a particular community late Tuesday evening reportedly vandalised famous Aap Shambhu Temple in Roopnagar area near Janipur, sparking off tension in the area, the panic-ridden administration suspended an Assistant Sub Inspector and held several people for questioning.
At least two police buses, one Maruti van, an Alto car and a scooty were torched by the angry residents while bunker outside the Police Station, Janipur was also destroyed by the protesters.
Some traffic signal poles were also targeted by the mob to vent their ire in the absence of any senior police or civil officer present on the ground to handle the volatile situation.
The senior police and civil officials rushed to the spot only after the mob had torched police buses.
The small team of Janipur Police Station was virtually outnumbered by the protesting people outside the station building. No reinforcements were rushed to the aid of Janipur Police Station. Ironically, the fire brigade vehicles were also stoned by the local residents and prevented from dousing off the flames of fire.
For more than three hours it was free for all, as no law and order machinery was visible on the busy road to contain the situation. According to eye witness reports soon after the news of desecration spread like wild fire hundreds of disciples of Lord Shiva, majority of them Kashmiri Pandits living in the area assembled outside the Janipur Police Station shouting religious slogans and demanding stern action against the miscreants. According to eyewitness reports the two youth, identified as Mohd Yaseer, son of Mohammed Khairdeen, resident of Shiva, Doda along with his brother Tanveer reportedly vandalised the temple Tuesday evening after he ran away from a nearby clinic where he was waiting to see a Psychiatrist Dr Jagdish Thappa. As the youth were captured by the police they rushed them to the Janipur Police Station. As the number of protesters grew in numbers the police men stationed at the police station became helpless.
In the absence of any senior police or district official incharge of law and order situation the angry protesters went berserk and torched at least two police buses and bunker outside the police station.
Some of the residents also damaged traffic light signals and burnt down tyres in the middle of the road to give vent to their ire.
Senior police and district officials rushed to the spot only after situation started taking an ugly turn. Police later resorted to tear gas shelling and lathicharge to disperse the mob. Ding dong battles were going on in the area till last reports came in. Traffic on the busy Janipur road remained suspended for more than four hours. Tension gripped the area following presence of large posse of police force. Till late evening the state police spokesman or senior police officials avoided making any statement on the entire episode as they were still grappling with the law and order situation. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti along with Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh were camping in Jammu and monitoring the situation. Meanwhile, an Assistant Sub Inspector of Police Station Janipur has been placed under suspension while several persons have been detained for questioning.