Ajay Raina
JAMMU, May 5: Bandh was observed in Jammu and some other parts of the province today on the call given by Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (JKHCBA), Jammu and supported by various political, non-political, social organisations and NGOs over the alleged atrocities meted out to one of the lawyers by a police officer and his subordinates.
Bandh affected the normal life in Jammu city as all the shops and business establishments remained closed and public transport also went off the roads after several incidents of violence in which over a dozen of vehicles including mini-buses were damaged by the protestors and their supporters.
Some of the educational institutions and Government offices remained open but witnessed thin attendance.
In a violent incident at Rehari, the window panes of a mini-bus bearing registration number JKO2AQ-9837 were damaged. The driver of the vehicle namely Abdul Hamid, son of Hassan Din of Bari Barahamana was also thrashed severally by the irate mob which resulted into injuries to the driver in his hand.
He was rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where after first aid, he was discharged, while a case under relevant Sections stands registered in this regard at Rehari police post.
A bus No. JK02AR-7125 carrying passengers from Jammu to Rajouri was also damaged by the protesters near Toph Sherkhania bridge resulting into injuries to a minor boy. A case FIR number 76/14 has been registered at Talab Tillo police post in this regard.
After this incident, the people of the Toph Sherkhania area assembled on Jammu-Poonch road and blocked the vehicular movement in protest against the lawyers for damaging the passenger bus causing injuries to a minor boy.
The window panes of over a dozen mini-buses plying on Jewel-Mishriwalla routes were also damaged. Back view mirrors of few mini-buses were damaged by the mob on Jammu University road.
The damaged vehicles carried registration numbers JK02BE-7927, JK02AJ-2859, JK02AM-2487, JK02H-6797, JK02AT-6697, JK02AW-2114, JK02AK-1376, JK02BE-7827, JK02AN-1557, JK02BE-0215 and JK02H-9700.
As the news of the violence spread, commercial vehicles including buses and mini-buses stopped plying thus adding to the woes of the commuters, especially the pilgrims of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji shrine, who faced tough time due to non-availability of long route transportation and had to trek on foot to Railway Station, Bus Stand and other destinations.
Lawyers under the banner of JKHCBA took out protest rallies which passed through various bazaars and markets and staged protest by burning tyres and blocking vehicular movement at various locations including Main Chowk Janipur, City Chowk, Jewel Chowk, Bikram Chowk, Satwari Chowk, etc.
The protestors at certain sites also forced the traders to shut their shops and stopped the vehicles carrying passengers.
Protesting advocates were demanding suspension of the SHO of Gandhi Nagar police station along with his two subordinates for allegedly manhandling one of their colleagues Harshvardhan Gupta on April 16 in Nanak Nagar area in full public view.
Talking to the reporters during a press conference, MK Bhardwaj, president, JKHCBA said that the Bar Association Jammu has served an ultimatum of 72 hours to the police and Government to suspend the erring police officials for holding an independent impartial and fair inquiry.
“If Government failed to take action against the erring police personnel, JKHCBA would again convene meeting with political parties, traders, transporters, members of the civil society and student organizations to decide future course of action”, he said.
When asked about the violent incidents that happened during the protests, Bhardwaj stated that police and CID agents damaged the vehicles and not the advocates.
About circulation of message that Bar Association has called off their strike, he said that a committee comprising of senior members of the Bar Association has been constituted which will find the criminal content for circulating the message and damaging the prestige of the advocates.
He added that enquiry through RTI will be conducted into circulation of message to seek information against the motto behind spreading these kinds of baseless SMSes.
To another query, he said no one from the administration side has approached them for breaking the deadlock.
Bhardwaj said that peaceful dharna in the High Court premises and candle march in various areas in the evening will continue.
“According to the police authorities, order regarding suspension of the cops has been issued and submitted to the Divisional Commissioner Jammu but we have not yet received any copy of suspension order”, he added when asked about the confirmation about the suspension of the SHO police station Gandhi Nagar.
Earlier, JKHCBA and various leaders of political parties and other organizations held a meeting, which was attended among others by Kavinder Gupta, ex-Mayor, Bali Bhagat, general secretary BJP, Thakur Hari Singh, senior vice president Congress, Vinod Sharma, general secretary Congress, Choudhary Hussain Ali Wafa, general secretary PDP, HC Jalmeria, general secretary and spokesman JKNPP, YV Sharma, president, CCI, Arun Gupta, general secretary, CCI and Sham Lal Langer, vice-president, CCI among others.
The work in the District Court Poonch also remained paralysed today. The Bar Association Poonch remained on strike and also announced to continue their strike till the Government takes action against the SHO Gandhi Nagar and his subordinates.
Continuing their agitation, Bhadarwah Bar Association under the chairmanship of its acting president Advocate Davinder Gupta today held a demonstration in the court complex Bhadarwah to lodge their protest against the brutal acts of beating, illegal detention and atrocities on Advocate Harshvardhan Gupta.
The work remained paralysed in District Court complex Rajouri as the lawyers also observed strike in protest against the police action over one of the colleague.
In Samba, the Samba Bar Association also held protest demonstration and blocked the Jammu-Pathankote National Highway for around half an hour resulting into long traffic snarls.
It is to mention that the lawyers strike has entered the 19th consecutive day today and the work in all the Courts including the Jammu wing of Jammu and Kashmir High Court remained paralysed.
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