Cops fire in air, Internet service snapped
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 24: Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, two Additional SPs, SHO Nowshera and two media-persons were among at least 36 persons injured as violence spread in the troubled township of Nowshera after police resorted to lathi-charge and teargas shelling on the protesters, followed by stone- pelting by mob near Tehsil office complex at Nowshera town of district Rajouri today.
The police fired several rounds in the air to quell mob while teargas shells landed in many houses, causing trouble and inconvenience to the women, children and elderly persons in some localities. The CRPF men assisting J&K Police also allegedly barged into many houses and beat up the locals. In stoning, at least half a dozen vehicles were also damaged while ‘brick and bat’ clash in the entire town continued throughout the day.
After violence in the town, the internet service was also snapped by Administration. Deputy Commissioner Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary and SSP Yougal Manhas rushed to Nowshera from Rajouri district headquarters along with additional force.
Trouble in the town started after Govt announcement to elevate post of SDM Nowshera as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Nowshera last evening. The people outrightly rejected the Government proposal and started massive protest. They demanded that Nowshera was agitating for district status and elevation of SDM as ADC was not acceptable to them.
Today morning, a large number of people led by Joint Action Committee (JAC) convenor Subash Kapoor, co-convenor Ravikant, Vinod Kumar and others assembled at Patel Chowk to convene meeting with regard to the final decision to be taken regarding ongoing agitation.
Click here to watch video
Today was the 37th day of the bandh/ agitation and many former Sarpanches from various Panchayat Halqas also attended the meeting. Several senior members including refugee leader from Jammu Rajiv Chuni addressed the gathering and expressed their view point. While some members were in favour of calling off agitation, the majority decided to go ahead with the ongoing bandh and protest.
After the meeting was over at around 11.45 am, the members including a large number of youth took out peaceful protest march from Patel Chowk in the town and then they moved towards Tehsil office complex to start dharna and protest there. A large number of police and CRPF men had already been deployed by the Administration in the entire town since early morning.
The Police party led by Additional SP Nowshera Master Popsy and SHO Insp Karan Chalotra stopped the protesting people to move ahead. The police had also raised barricades there to stop them. There was exchange of heated arguments between the police men and youth and it was followed by minor- scuffle between two sides and then lathi-charge by police.
As the youth resorted to heavy stone pelting on cops, the police then opened teargas shelling on the mob. The situation went out of control and some youth mounted on the roof top of the nearby Bar and Restaurant and started throwing empty bottles on the police men. The police then fired some rounds of guns in fire to disperse the mob. A youth Bindu (ex-Sarpanch), Chowki received bullet injury on his leg. The youth resorted to heavy stone pelting on cops from all the sides.
SHO, Nowshera Inspector Karan Chalotra, who was leading police party became first victim and was injured seriously after a stone hit his head. Bleeding profusely he was rushed to local hospital. A Sub Inspector Ashish Choudhary, Addl SP Master Popsy, ASP Rajouri Mohd Yousuf , ASI CRPF Parmanand, Constable Rajesh Kumar and Constable Mohd Shafi were also injured. SDPO Imtiaz sustained minor injury as a bottle hit his arm.
DC, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary who was standing in front of a shop along with some police officers and Tehsildar in the main bazaar, was hit by an empty bottle thrown from the roof top of a building by some youth. He sustained injuries and was rushed to local hospital. The injuries were not so serious as Dr Shahid was wearing head gear. He sustained injuries with broken pieces of glass. After first- aid in SDH Nowshera, the DC along with SDM, Tehsildar and other police officers went to Dak Bangalow to review situation.
The JAC members alleged that many youth were waylaid and allegedly beaten up mercilessly by cops. Even the elderly persons were not spared by them. They alleged that policemen were also pelting stones. The police fired more than a dozen rounds in the air and over four dozen tear gas shells were lobbed on public during their operation. The people ran for their lives. Smoke of teargas was seen all over the town. The women and children had tough time as many teargas shells landed in houses of the people besides lanes and by-lanes.
The civilians injured in police action included, Ashok Kumar from Nowshera, I C Chibber from Nowshera, Dainik Jagaran reporter Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ramesh Kesar from Hind Samachar, Atal Chand from Chowki, Bindu Ex-Sarpanch Chowki, Bhupinder Singh from Narian, Amit Kumar from Nowshera, Shivdev from Chak Jalala, Raja Ram from Nowshera, Kuldip Kumar from Daneka, Inderjit Singh from Nowshera, Prem Nath from Barelli, Jagdish Raj from Bijnoa, Rattan Lal from Java, Bhupinder Choudhary from Nowshera, Sham Lal from Nowshera, Subhash Chander from Chowki, Lovely Bakshi from Chingus, Rakesh Khokhar from Nonyal, Shubam from Narian, Krishan Lal from Langar, Jaspreet Singh from Narian, Rajesh Khokhar from Bijnoa, Manoj Kumar Dabbar, Dharampal from Bijnoa, Govind Raj from Chowki, Umar Khan from Nowshera, Shanker Chand and Bipen from Narian.
Four persons including Inspector Chalotra, ASI Parmanand and Ex-Sarpanch Bindu were referred to GMC Hospital Jammu.
DC Rajouri, Dr Shahid when contacted said that people were not allowing the offices and banks to open. They were again moving to the tehsil complex and SDM office with the same intentions. When the police stopped them from doing so some youth resorted to stone pelting. As the youth turned violent the police had to resort to lathi-charge and also fired some rounds of teargas shells to quell them.
The DC denied gun firing by cops and said even one civilian- Bindu, was injured due to tear gas shell. The DC said he was also hit by empty bottle at his head when he was talking to some officers in the main bazaar during violence. He said local SHO, two ASPs, DySP and more than two dozen civilians have been injured in the clashes. He said the first demand of ADC of Nowshera people has been fulfilled. Now, they are demanding District status. They have been told to agitate peacefully and sit some where else and not in the tehsil complex and allow offices and schools/ colleges to function.
Meanwhile, a 15-member committee of JAC had meeting with the DC and SSP Rajouri besides other officers of the Administration at Dak Bangalow Nowshera late this evening. The DC asked them to allow opening of Govt offices, banks and schools/college as the public was suffering badly for the last 37 days. He said local Administration had no problem if they carry on with their agitation for district but violence will not be allowed. He assured them to facilitate them for projecting their demand before the higher authorities in the Government.
Later, the JAC agreed to allow offices to open but said that final decision with regard to agitation will be taken in their own meeting at SD Sabha tonight or tomorrow. The meeting held at SD Sabha tonight, however, remained inconclusive and resolved to have second round of meeting tomorrow.
Meanwhile, PDP MLC Surinder Choudhary said that he was happy with the posting of ADC at Nowshera and added that he took up the matter at personal level with the Chief Minister. He extended gratitude to the Chief Minister and said that justice has been done with other towns also. He also condemned the lathi-charge on the civilians and said that violence should have been avoided.
Various political parties including Congress, National Conference and NPP besides DGPC Rajouri have condemned the police lathi-charge on peaceful procession at Nowshera and demanded inquiry into the mater.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
