MENDHAR: SDPO Mendhar, two cops and journalists were among dozens who sustained injuries during clashes after a group of National Conference workers reportedly attempted to shutdown the market here on Thursday.
FIR 193/16 under Sections 451, 323,147,148, 323, 504, 506, 336 and 427 RPC has been registered at Police Station Mendhar against over 20 National Conference activists.
The National Conference had given a Bandh call in protest against the failures and anti-people policies of the PDP-BJP Government.
“Though partial Bandh was observed yet some of the shops and business establishments were open,” an eye-witness said adding that the protesting NC workers forcefully tried to shutdown the shops, which led to scuffle and a mild clash.
“Police acted swiftly and intervened to defuse the situation but in the course of action three police personnel including SDPO Mendhar reportedly sustained injuries,” he added. “Police took timely to diffuse the tension and avert untoward situation,” J S Johar, SSP Poonch said.
He said that the protestors on seeing some of the shops defying the Bandh call reacted and made a forceful attempt to enforce the shutdown, leading to tension in the area. “However, the situation was soon contained by the cops”, he added.
Meanwhile large number of PDP workers held a protest under the leadership of Waseem Khan in which they alleged large scale Vandalism by the NC workers on the instance of NC MLA Mendhar Javed Rana. They alleged that the NC workers attacked the shopkeepers, damaged and looted their shops for refusing to close their shops. Waseem said that the SDPO Mendhar Choudhary Shahid Naeem who tried to stop the NC vandalism, was also injured besides two correspondents.