Police to lodge FIRs in fake news of harassment
Bandh observed in 5 districts
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 18: As situation remained normal today, authorities relaxed curfew in parts of City South but the restrictions continued for fourth consecutive day in City North area of Jammu while police have initiated action against spread of fake news on social media pertaining to attacks on Kashmiri people in parts of Jammu and FIRs were likely to be registered against the accused.
Curfew was relaxed in Jammu City South except some vulnerable areas for the first time during last four days from 2 pm to 5 pm but the relaxation period was gradually increased and the restrictions were re-imposed during the night. However, authorities decided against giving any relaxation in curfew in City North as a precautionary measure even as no untoward incident was reported from any part of the entire City, where curfew was imposed on Friday afternoon following incidents of arson during Jammu bandh called against the martyrdom of 44 CRPF jawans at Pulwama Thursday last.
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District Magistrate (DM) Jammu, Romesh Kumar told the Excelsior that curfew was relaxed in City South excepting areas falling under jurisdiction of Nehru Market, Digiana, Belicharana and Gadigarh police posts from 2 pm to 5 pm. He said the relaxation period passed off peacefully.
However, Kumar said, no relaxation was given in City North today. A decision on curfew relaxation tomorrow will be taken at 8 am after review of the situation, he added.
Though officially the relaxation period was not extended beyond 5 pm, the authorities decided to keep restrictions eased in City South areas up to 8 pm and re-imposed curfew during the night.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, MK Sinha told the Excelsior that situation in entire Jammu region including curfew bound areas and where the restrictions were relaxed during the day, remained normal.
“No incident of stone pelting or any other kind of violence has been reported from any part of the City,’’ Sinha said but added that Army remained deployed in all sensitive areas of Jammu City and conducted patrolling along with CRPF and police to ensure that law and order situation is not disturbed.
Sinha said no arrests or detentions were made in any part of the region today as situation was completely peacefully.
On continued curfew in City North areas, Sinha said the situation was peaceful and will be assessed afresh tomorrow morning before taking a decision on relaxation.
Meanwhile, police have come across number of fake news being spread on social media and decided to take action against those, who had uploaded them.
Police sources said a Kashmiri girl sitting in New Delhi uploaded a message on WhatsApp Group ‘Kashmir Distress Alert’ that her father and grandfather were beaten-up by the mob at Chinore in Jammu. Police immediately rushed senior officers and contingents of JKP and CRPF to the spot but only to find girl’s all relatives fine.
“Father of the girl told police that his daughter had uploaded the message even without speaking to him on telephone,’’ police said, adding they planned to take action against the girl, who is a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
Similarly, they said, a Civil Secretariat employee spread rumour that a petrol bomb was lobbed at Government Quarters on outskirts of the City. On reaching spot, police found that there were few drops of petrol in a plastic bottle, which in no way could have been used as bomb. In this case also, police have decided to register a case.
“We have received some more complaints of similar nature, which are being verified and action will also be taken against all those spreading fake news and indulging in rumour mongering,’’ sources said.
They added that though situation in entire Jammu City remained peaceful today including the areas, where curfew continued for fourth day and the areas, where curfew was relaxed, authorities weren’t taking a chance and would review the situation threadbare tomorrow before taking a decision on curfew.
Authorities today withdrew Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (JKAP) from most parts of the City following complaints of harassment to innocent people of Jammu.
Mobile internet services in entire Jammu region remained snapped for 5th consecutive day today.
DIG Jammu Range, Vivek Gupta and SSP Jammu Tejender Singh were monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, parts of Jammu district, where there were no curfew restrictions and Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi districts today again observed complete shutdown against martyrdom of 44 CRPF jawans.
Commercial traffic on Jammu-Pathankot and Jammu-Srinagar National Highways and Jammu-Akhnoor-Rajouri road remained off for fourth consecutive day today and only private vehicles were seen moving.
All educational institutions remained closed in Jammu division as per a Government order. As tomorrow is a Gazetted holiday on account of Guru Ravi Dass Ji birthday, educational institutions will remain closed.
Bandh was complete in Samba town, Bari Brahamna, Vijaypur, Ramgarh and other areas of Samba district with people taking to streets, blocking roads and holding protest demonstrations against the martyrdom of the CRPF jawans on Thursday last.
Hiranagar, Kathua, Lakhanpur, Bani, Basohli, Billawar and all other major towns of Kathua district also observed complete bandh. Agitated people blocked Lakhanpur Chowk, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, and Atal Setu bridge in Basohli, disrupting every kind of vehicular movements.
Shops, business establishments etc remained closed in Samba and Kathua districts including remote villages. Only few vehicles were seen on the road as commercial transport remained off.
In Reasi district, Katra and Reasi towns observed strike with people raising blockades at various places. Pilgrimage to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji shrine has been reduced drastically in view of four days long curfew restrictions in Jammu. Only local people were visiting the shrine these days.
Udhampur district also observed complete bandh today. Shops in Udhampur, Ramnagar, Chenani, Dudu, Basantgarh, Latti and other towns and even rural areas of the district remained closed and traffic, barring few private vehicles, remained off the road.
Meanwhile, the District Magistrate, Jammu has ordered that Identity cards of Civil Secretariat employees, Government officials deployed with essential services, air tickets, railway tickets and admit cards for various examinations will be treated as curfew passes.
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