Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 17: The families of Sardar Singh and Sher Singh have demanded police security for them in view of yesterday’s unprovoked attack by Gujjars at Bhera (Gujjar Kothi) near Salal Power Project in Reasi.
“We have written separate letters to Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Shantmanu and IGP Jammu, Rajesh Kumar in this regard”, Sardar Singh father of injured Pardeep Singh and husband of injured Satya Devi, Chanchala Devi wife of Pardeep Singh and Sher Singh father of injured Kulwant Singh told reporters here this afternoon.
They said that Pardeep Singh, his mother Satya Devi and Kulwant Singh, son of Sher Singh were injured after irate Gujjars attacked them with axes when they refused to close their shops on the occasion of Eid festival on their dictates yesterday.
They said that yesterday when they were on their shops over 40 to 50 irate Gujjars asked them to close the business establishments on the occasion of Eid “and when we refused to do the same they attacked us with axes resulting serious injuries to Pardeep Singh his mother Satya Devi and Kulwant Singh”. All the three have been hospitalized, they added.
They said that 51 kanals of land at Bhera now called Gujjar Kothi belonged to them and 49 kanals of it were acquired by NHPC for Salal Hydro Electric Project in 1980 while 1.17 kanals of land was still under their possession and they had constructed a hall and some shops over there while a temple of Mata also existed there.
Later the Gujjars grabbed 59 kanals of land in the area in 1990 and no one from administration objected to the same. “They even tried to grab our land and broke the locks of the hall. The matter was taken in the court of law which gave its verdict in our favour” they added.
They said that on provocation by some anti social elements the Gujjars attacked them yesterday inflicted serious injuries on three members.
This has created a serious situation in the area, they said and appealed the Government to provide security to them.
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