Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Jan 5: Angry residents of Mahanpur today blocked the Billawar road for nearly two hours to protest against the unchecked smuggling of bovines to Kashmir via Dhar Road.
The protest was led by former Sarpanch Sonu Gupta, with demonstrators staging a road blockade at Mahanpur Morh and raising slogans against alleged police inaction.
The agitation erupted after local youth noticed the movement of a vehicle loaded with bovines coming from the Lakhanpur side and passing through the Billawar road during the intervening night.
Sensing illegal activity, the youth chased the vehicle in the early hours of the morning.
During the chase, the smugglers allegedly hit one of the local youth in an attempt to escape.
However, they failed and fled the spot, abandoning the vehicle loaded with bovines on the Mahanpur road.
The villagers immediately informed the police, who later took possession of the vehicle for legal action.
Taking serious note of the incident, residents said bovine smuggling through the Dhar Road has deeply hurt the sentiments of animal lovers in the area.
Addressing the protesters, Sonu Gupta strongly criticized the police and questioned how a smuggling vehicle could pass through police posts at Basantpur, Thien and RS Dam despite Jammu and Kashmir being on high alert.
The protesters withdrew the blockade after police assured strict action and measures to curb bovine smuggling in the area.xxx
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