news details |
|
|
| Two more lives go for land | | Protestors, Police clash in Samba, two killed in firing | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Aug 4
As the agitation for return of controversial piece of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine refuses to ebb, two more lives were lost today after massive tension erupted between protesters and Police in Samba.
Five more have been reported injured in the Police action and two of them are stated to be critical. Large-scale demonstrations erupted in tension gripped Samba after killing of two agitators in the Police action.
Meanwhile, even as sporadic protests continued across the town, but the three-hours early morning relaxation in curfew passed off peacefully with no report of demonstrations or violence reported from any part of city. Strict curfew restrictions continued in Udhampur, Rajouri and Bhaderwah where Army carried out flag marches but no major incident of violence has been reported from these areas.
Eye witnesses said that a strong mob came heads on with the Police in Samba following which the cops had to open fire resulting into instant death of one youth. Another succumbed while on way to hospital and two more are reported to be critical in the hospital.
It happened late in the afternoon at around 1:30 PM when hundreds of agitators coming from the border areas sat on the road blocking the National Highway near new Bus Stand. The Police were making efforts to clear the road when protesters outnumbered the cops and led to a one-to-one clash between both sides. Senior Police officers including SSP Samba Prabhat Singh also sustained serious injuries in the clash.
Finding it difficult to control the mob, the Police opened fire on them leading to critical injuries to five activists while one of them collapsed on the spot. Those killed in the Police fire have been identified as Sunny Padha so of Khem Raj and Sanjeev Singh Sambyal son of Chanchal Singh. They received bullet shots in their head causing on the spot death of one. Another youth injured in the Police action identified as Prabudhyal is in critical condition. Doctors attending on him said that the bullet splinter injuries have gone deep into head and the chances of his survival appeared bleak.
A prominent political leader of Samba, Satwant Kaur Dogra said that tension erupted in the area after an angry mob set fire on a tourist bus bearing registration number NL02B 1519 which was going to Nagaland.
Elsewhere in the day no major incident of violence was reported from Jammu districts where curfew was relaxed today for varying periods even as the organisation spearheading the Amarnath land row stir extended the shutdown in the city by five days.
No relaxation in curfew was given in rest of the Jammu region which is witnessing unrest over the land issue that has left five dead and more than 200 hurt since June-end.
Curfew was relaxed from 5 AM to 8 AM in Jammu and from 8 AM to 10 AM in Samba, officials said adding no untoward incident was reported from the two districts during lifting of the curfew.
Residents thronged marketplaces during the relaxation period to buy essential and other commodities, the officials said. After the curfew was re-imposed, army conducted flag marches in sensitive areas in the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
Doctors, nurses and other staff in government hospitals in the city took mass casual leave for a day today to express their solidarity with the agitators. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
