Protests sparked against custodial death for 2nd day

Irate people protesting on Railway track Ghagwal with dead body on Monday. -Excelsior/Nischant
Irate people protesting on Railway track Ghagwal with dead body on Monday. -Excelsior/Nischant

Irate people squat on Railway track with dead body

Excelsior Correspondent

SAMBA, Feb 7: The protests against the custodial killing of a youth in Hiranagar Police Station yesterday morning sparked protests for the second consecutive day today with the agitated relatives, family members and villagers blocked the Railway track at Ghagwal near, here by placing the dead body on the track.
The protestors refused to take the body for cremation and demanded re-postmortem of the same and filing of FIR against the SHO, Hiranagar. The protestors alleged that the body of deceased youth had the marks of wounds and his nails were removed. They said Sunil Verma, who died under mysterious circumstances in the police lock up has been tortured.
The protestors also demanded that the two youth who were also arrested along with Sunil and later let off by the police be -rearrested and interrogated. As the protestors did not agree to lift the dead body for cremation senior civil and police officers from twin districts of Samba and Kathua rushed to the spot to pacify them.
The movement of trains was also disrupted due to blockade of the track by the protestors who were demanding that the policemen who killed youth should be booked under section 302 and be punished under law of the land. They said there were many wounds on the body of the deceased Sunil Verma and he died due to excessive torture and it was a plain murder.
Sensing that the situation should not take ugly turn senior officers including SSP Kathua, Ramesh Chander Kotwal, SSP Samba, Abhishek Mahajan, District Development Commissioner, Kathua, Rahul Yadav and District Development Commissioner, Samba Anuradha Gupta rushed to the spot to pacify the protesters. SSP Kathua, Ramesh Kotwal assured them that they will investigate the matter thoroughly and whosoever is found guilty in this regard will not be tolerated at any cost.
The protesters also submitted a written complaint against SHO Hiranagar to SSP Kathua demanding registration of case under Section 302 against him.
Due to the blockade of track many trains were also disrupted in an interval of one and a half hours, which were stopped at different stations. While many trains did not leave from the Railway Station, Jammu. Many commuters from outside states had to face a lot of trouble due to the disruption of train service.
Meanwhile, according to reports, police has today arrested the other two youth Aman and Vinod of Nunath Samba who had hired the car of Sunil on February 3. The arrest was made on the demand of family ,members of Sunil. The two youth during the investigation confessed before the SDM that they had more 25 grams of Heroin with them which they had concealed in car bearing Registration Number JK02AE-0262. The police on their disclosure seized the contraband from the car and registered a fresh FIR in the case.
The family members while turning down the police theory of suicide said that three more persons were in lockup with Sunil and if he tried to commit suicide why did not they stop him by overpowering him and raising an alarm. The family demanded a thorough probe into the matter and justice to Sunil.