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| Stone storm at cops leave dozen injured | | Gujjars’ huts burnt in Falain Mandal eviction drive | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 9: Tension broke out in the Falain-Mandal area along Nikki Tawi near here this morning when the illegal encroachers of Social Forestry land resisted the department’s move, assisted by Police, to evict them from the area.
On request of Department of Social Forestry, when a team of cops led by Superintendent of Police Mubashir Latiefi reached the area, the encroachers attempted to chase them away by heavy stone pelting. This led to a scuffle between encroachers and Police resulting into injuries to a dozen of policemen including SP Latiefi. One cop is reported to have sustained serious injuries.
Social Forestry department’s Divisional Forest Officer for Jammu, Roop Avtar Kaur later told Early Times that her department’s land had been encroached upon by some people with a willful intention of grabbing. “We served them notices and gave ample time to vacate our land but the families stayed put with a clear intention of grabbing which necessitated our action”, she said and added
The Social Forestry Department had lodged a written complaint with Police that some families have forcibly encroached a portion of community land under possession of the department. The department had also sought help from the district administration.
A police party led by superintendent of Police Latiefi went to vacate the Kullas allegedly raised by some Gujjar members along Niki Tawi and were attacked by the inmates of the area. Soon after the police reached close to the land the members of the families started pelting stones. Several police personnel including a Superintendent of Police were injured in the clash. Latiefi has sustained injuries in his leg and elbow while several police personnel including two civilians were injured in the clash.
The locals, however, had their own version. “We have been living here since last so many years and now government is claiming the land” one of the Gujjar members told a visiting Early Times reporter.
Later in the evening extra forces were deployed in the area and manhunt was launched to nab the Gujjars who attacked on the police party and injured several cops including a senior officer.
Meanwhile police spokesman claimed that Superintendent of Police (City South) and another Police cop suffered injuries in lathicharge when a violent mob of Gujjars pelted stones on the police party which had to be taken by the Social Forestry and Revenue Department for assistance to prevent the land of Social Forestry Department illegally occupied by the nomad Gujjars last night under the jurisdiction of Police Station Satwari.
“Police personnel have been given strict instructions by their seniors to maintain utmost restraint while dealing with the Gujjars for vacating the land. But the nomad Gujjars who so ever found violating the instructions of Police for vacating the Government Land of Social Forestry Department” the spokesman added.
He said that every effort was made to clear the occupied land but repeated warnings failed to have any impact and an instead pelting stones on the Police. Later, Police reinforcement under the command of SP Headquarters Jammu and SP Ops Jammu was rushed on spot. The situation is now under control and the land has been vacated.
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