* Net services suspended in Jammu
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 14: Massive protests erupted outside Janipura police station this evening as agitated people, protesting against damage caused to historic ‘Aap Shamboo temple’ in Roop Nagar, went on rampage and torched two buses of Police Public School and subjected police station and the cops to stone pelting before the police personnel retaliated with teargas shells and lathicharge to disperse the mob.
The protests continued for nearly three and half hours till police officers ordered teargas and lathicharge to clear the road, which had been blocked by the protesters demanding stern action against the accused, who had desecrated the ancient and widely revered temple and a police ASI, who had slapped the temple priest.
Meanwhile, police authorities tonight ordered suspension of internet services of all networks to prevent any kind of flare-up in the situation. However, the broadband services will remain functional. A decision to suspend internet services was taken after a meeting of top police officials.
A group of youths pelted stones at the residence of CAPD Minister Ch Zulfkar Ali at Roop Nagar. The police personnel on duty fired two shots after which the youth, riding on bikes, fled away.
Official reports said the miscreant Mohammad Yasir, 25, son of Kher Din, resident of Shiva, Doda was spotted inside the ‘Aap Shamboo temple’ at Roop Nagar at about 5 pm. He pelted stones and damaged windscreens of the temple apart from indulging in sacrilegious acts. The temple priest, Sanjay Kumar and others immediately sounded Janipura police station.
In the meantime, Yasir’s brother, Tanvir Ahmad also reached the spot and told people that they had come for the treatment of Yasir at the residence of Dr Jagdish Thapa, Psychiatrist at Roop Nagar but Yasir fled away from the clinic and reached the temple.
Police teams headed by an ASI Rehmatullah, which reached the spot slapped Sanjay Kumar, pujari of the temple while arresting Yasir and detaining his brother Tanvir. This further irked the people as the news of desecration of the temple and slapping of the ‘pujari’ spread like wild fire.
A large number of people marched towards Janipura police station and held massive demonstration there shouting slogans against police and demanding stern action against the miscreants. The mob continued to swell with every passing minute and soon the strength of few people was converted into thousands with youths from different parts of Janipura and surroundings joining the protests against desecration of the temple.
Initially, there was no senior officer of police or civil administration to talk to the protesters, which led to increase in the number of agitated people and, by the time, the officers reached there, number of the people had swelled into thousands and they set on fire two buses of Police Public School, which were parked at some distance of the police station.
The cable bundles were also set on fire by the people, who alleged that police hasn’t been able to control the sacrilegious acts. The people were highly agitated over the way the miscreant desecrated the ancient temple at Roop Nagar by damaging wind screens and causing other unwarranted acts before he was caught by the priest and other people and handed over to the cops.
The people also resented the behaviour of police in slapping the temple priest.
After about three and half hour long massive protests during which two Police Public School vehicles and other items were torched, police resorted to teargas shelling and lathicharge on the mob around 9.30 pm to clear the protesters from the road and outside Janipura police station.
The teargas shelling and lathicharge continued for about an hour as the mob repeatedly re-grouped themselves and subjected the police personnel to heavy stone pelting. In the process, some of the civilians and cops also got injured.
Sources said police authorities have placed ASI Rehmatullah under suspension for slapping the temple priest. A case against Yasir has been registered for committing sacrilegious act inside the temple. A separate case of rioting by the mob has also been registered against unidentified persons.
Sources admitted that timely intervention by police by inter-acting with the protests when they were very small in number around 6.30 pm would have saved the situation from worsening as delay gave time to mob to swell in numbers and then torch the vehicles, cables and other items etc.
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