 Sumit Sharma
Jammu, July 28: Six shops and two kiosks were today set ablaze by some people at Bhoond in Basohli area of Kathua after an alleged sacrilegious act. As tension gripped the area with tempers running high, the district administration imposed section 144 in and around Bhoond.
Police said a group of villagers this morning noticed some anti-social elements allegedly indulging in a sacrilegious act, following which they raised an alarm.
The villagers gathered there soon and expressed their resentment against the incident. While they protested, a clash broke out with the two sides resorting to stone-pelting. Several persons, who sustained stone injuries at Sheetal Nagar, Bhoond, and its surroundings, were admitted to the Sub-District Hospital, Basohli, for treatment.
Six shops and two kiosks were also torched by the angry people in the area. Protests were also held in Bani, Basholi, Mahanpur and Billawar areas where the demonstrators burnt tyres and blocked roads to express their anguish against the sacrilegious act. The vehicular movement remained disrupted for hours in these areas.
To diffuse tension and ensure that no untoward incident takes place, a heavy contingent of police was rushed to the tension-hit areas. Senior administrative officers including district magistrate, Kathua, Shahid Iqbal, DIG Jammu-Kathua range, Shakeel Beig, SSP, Kathua, Mohan Lal, and other police personnel also rushed to the spot.
"The situation at present is under control and we have invited elderly members of both the sides for talks", Shahid said, adding that compensation for the loss caused to some people was yet to be viewed.
He said that section 144 had been imposed in the area as a preventive measure.
Divisional Commissioner (Jammu Zone) Shant Manu said knives and some pieces of meat (of the slain animal) were found and sent to Forensic laboratory.
Adequate police and CRPF have been deployed in the troubled-torn area, the officials said.
Meanwhile, sources said that police had detained two of the accused involved in the alleged incident. A case in this connection was registered at the concerned police station.
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