‘Murder of local by nomads in Dudu’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 12: Expressing shock over the `brutal murder’ of a local person from Pattangarh area of Chenani, by some nomads and outside migrants in Seoj Dhar area last week, former minister and NPP chairman Harsh Dev Singh sought a probe by CBI into the said case besides other untraced acts of violence and loot in the past in remote Dudu belt of district Udhampur.
While lodging his protest in Jammu today, NPP leader alleged that Seoj Dhar area had earned the most dubious notoriety in the past few years in view of growing number of criminal activities indulged in by migrant nomads from Pathankot, Gurdaspur and its adjoining areas of Punjab as well as from border areas of district Kathua. It has also remained the hub of militancy for several years. He said the locals of the area and family of Shiv Raj (deceased) have apprehension of five nomads involved in the alleged murder, the dead body of the victim had not been traced so far.
Pointing towards the gruesome incidents of crime in Seoj Dhar over the years, Harsh Dev said that large population of nomads migrated to the said area during summer season from different parts of district Kathua and from Punjab and forcefully occupied the forest lands, state lands, Kah Charai lands besides proprietary lands of locals through money and muscle power. These lands were then let out to the locals by the nomads for grazing purposes and huge money charged from them for allowing their cattle in the area. Several of these nomads were reported to be having links with militants and served as OGWs for them. They had let loose a reign of terror in the area. The local nomads (Gaddis) are not allowed to enter Seoj Dhar by these Punjabi nomads of other community.
Peeved over the fear psychosis created in the area, Singh sought adequate deployment of Central forces in the area to combat the nefarious designs of disruptive forces and to instill a sense of security in the area. He sought enquiry into the encroachment and occupation of forest and State lands by these outsiders in Seoj Dhar and their unchecked criminal activities there. He said local Sarpanch and other people of the area are on protest for the last five days but Basantgarh police has failed to solve the case, even though they have detained five persons.
Follow our WhatsApp channel