Jammu, August 19
Even as thousands of people, including women, courted arrest here today as part of the three-day ‘jail bharo’ call given by the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti, the situation turned tense when the protesters fought pitched battle with the police and damaged government vehicles.
The trouble broke out in the evening after the divisional commissioner, deputy commissioner and other officials reached the Abhinav Theatre to attend a government function to mark Independence Day celebrations.
Hundreds of protesters gathered on the Canal Road and Jeewal areas and hurled stones at the theatre, damaging vehicles of government officials attending the function.
The police resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas shells to disperse the mob. The protesters entered nearby GGM Science College and SPMR College and pelted the police with stones from the rooftops. The police also reportedly used rubber bullets to quell the protest. Over 15 persons, including SDPO West R.K. Chalotra and some other cops, sustained injuries in the clash.
Additional police force and the Rapid Action Force were called out to control the situation. There were also reports of stone-pelting incidents in Gumat and Purani Mandi areas.
Earlier, women power was at display in the winter capital, as scores of women marched on the city roads to court arrest on the second day of the ‘jail bharo’ agitation.
They gave a tough time to the security personnel at Gandhi Nagar and Pacca Danga police stations, as the latter appeared virtually helpless in front of their massive numbers.
Unlike yesterday when the police “got rid of the protesters” by shifting them to temporary jails, the cops were at the receiving end today, as the women protesters not only indulged in sloganeering but also performed ‘bhajan kirtan’ outside the police
stations throughout the day.
Domana witnessed the biggest protest with over 10,000 protesters venturing out to court arrest. Reports of the people courting arrest were also received from Gandhi Nagar, City police station, Rehari, Trikuta Nagar, Chhani Himmat, Pacca Danga and Talab Tillo.
Meanwhile, curfew was relaxed for 15 hours in Jammu and nine hours in
Samba.
Suicide attempt: Another person from RS Pura today reportedly attempted suicide over the land transfer issue. He has been identified as 18-year-old Jatinder Kumar.
Sources said he had allegedly consumed liquid mosquito repellant, following which he was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, where his condition is stated to be stable.
