Sanjeev Pargal
-Excelsior/Rakesh
JAMMU, June 5: Top brass of civil administration tonight conceded all demands of the agitating Sikh community including transfer of SSP Jammu Uttam Chand pending inquiry after which the Sikh representatives assured the administration that they would call off their protests and ensure peace.
At a high level meeting with Sikh representatives, Home Secretary RK Goyal and DGP K Rajendra Kumar among other top civil and police officers agreed to all main demands put forth by them and ordered transfer of the SSP Jammu pending an inquiry into entire episode by Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal, suspension of SHO Satwari Inspector Kulbir Singh Choudhary, release of innocent youth arrested in connection with two days long protests, Rs 5 lakh compensation and job to the kin of youth Jagjit Singh, who was killed in yesterday’s firing by the police, official sources told the Excelsior.
Additional SP Jammu Rajiv Pandey has been asked to officiate as SSP Jammu while Inspector Manjit Singh has been posted as SHO Satwari.
The decision on transfer of the SSP Jammu and other issues was reached after four hours long meeting between top officers and Sikh representatives at Institute of Engineers tonight and was announced at the midnight tonight.
Apart from the Home Secretary and the DGP, the meeting was also attended by Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal, IGP CID AG Mir, IGP Jammu Danish Rana and DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua range Ashkoor Wani. Sikh representatives including religious, social and political leaders attended the meeting.
Tarlochan Singh Wazir, Sikh leader and former MLA said their all demands have been conceded by the administration and they were satisfied with outcome of the four hours long meeting. Wazir announced that Jagjit Singh will be cremated at 11.30 am tomorrow at his native village Chowala in RS Pura.
As far as the Sikh community’s demand for registration of FIR in the killing was concerned, it was agreed during the day as FIR under Section 302 IPC was registered against Special Operations Group (SOG) constable Mukesh Saini, PSO of the SSP Jammu at Satwari police station after which the people agreed to conduct post-mortem on the body of Jagjit Singh.
The Home Secretary, the DGP and the IG CID had air dashed here early this morning and held high level security review at Police Control Room along with top officers of civil and police administration of Jammu region and representatives of Army and CRPF. They reviewed law and order in the region and steps to maintain it.
Earlier, Army staged flag march for second consecutive day today all along Satwari-RS Pura and Satwari-Digiana roads to quell any violence and help para-military CRPF and police to maintain law and order following yesterday’s killing of a youth in police firing at Ranibagh while protesters agreed for post-mortem of deceased Jagjit Singh only after police registered a FIR under Section 302 RPC (murder) against a police constable of SOG, who was posted as PSO with the SSP Jammu, at Satwari police station in connection with yesterday’s firing that flared up clashes all over Jammu.
The people blocked Jammu-Pathankot National Highway at three places in Kathua and Digiana in Jammu almost throughout the day and Jammu-Srinagar Highway at Moarha Morh in Udhampur for an hour besides several other major roads including the City and outskirts in protest against the killing of youth and injuries to others in police firing yesterday in defiance of prohibitory orders, which were in force in entire Jammu district and curfew under the jurisdiction of Satwari and Miran Sahib police station. A complete bandh was observed in Poonch by all communities, Sunderbani and Nowshera in Rajouri district and several other areas of Jammu region to denounce the killing and demanding stern action against the police officers, who ordered firing on the mob.
Authorities closed down mobile Internet services in Jammu region to prevent flare up of any rumours. A decision to this effect was taken by the administration after a high level meet after which the telecom companies were approached to shut mobile net services, which remained closed till late tonight. A decision on resumption of mobile Internet services will be taken only after restoration of normalcy.
An AK-47 rifle of police constable Joginder Pal, which was snatched by the mob at Digiana last night after stabbing him on the hand, was returned to the police by some elderly citizens on the intervention of senior police officers. “The rifle has been recovered. The elderly persons have returned it to the police,’’ DIG Jammu-Kathua range Ashkoor Wani told the Excelsior.
The rifle was snatched from the constable yesterday when the protesters stabbed him on his hand and chin with sharp-edged weapon at Digiana causing him serious injuries. Pal was trying to control the situation along with senior officers when the mob stabbed the cop.
Official sources told the Excelsior that trouble erupted in Ranibagh, the scene of yesterday’s firing, at about 4.30 pm today when an ambulance carrying the body of Jagjit Singh son of Narvir Singh R/o village Choala in RS Pura tehsil, who was killed in police firing yesterday, was being taken to his home after post-mortem in the Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu. A large number of people including men, women and youth, who were sitting on dharna at Ranibagh since morning in protest against the killing and demanding suspension of SSP Jammu Uttam Chand and SHO Satwari Inspector Kulbir Choudhary, turned violent and started pelting stones on police vehicles accompanying the dead body.
The mob was sitting on dharna on main road at Ranibagh at Jammu-RS Pura road in defiance of undeclared curfew restrictions and prohibitory orders right from the morning peacefully. They turned violent when they saw the vehicle carrying dead body of youth Jagjit Singh coming from Jammu on way to his native village RS Pura in ambulance escorted by police vehicles. The mob subjected the police vehicles to heavy stone pelting, damaging some of them. Police didn’t retaliate.
In the melee, a Scorpio vehicle of ABP news channel was torched by the mob causing it extensive damage. They also damaged over a dozen other vehicles. The media persons had narrow escape in the incident. Some of them had to take shelter in the houses before returning. Army, which had been deployed along Satwari-RS Pura road, immediately took control of the situation and staged flag march leading to restoration of normalcy. The protesters dispersed after troops staged flag march.
Body of Jagjit Singh has been kept by the protesters at his native village Choala in RS Pura. A large number of people gathered at the village after the body reached there and shouted slogans against police blaming them for the killing. He will be cremated at the native village at 11.30 am tomorrow. The family members of Jagjit and villagers of Choala blamed police for directly firing at him, leading to his killing.
Earlier, the people didn’t allow conduct of post-mortem on the body in the Government Medical College, Jammu, where the body had been kept since last evening, demanding registration of FIR against police and its copy to them. It was only after police handed over copy of FIR No. 112/2015 of Satwari police station registered against Special Operations Group (SOG) constable Mukesh Saini, PSO of the SSP Jammu under Section 302 RPC to the mob that they agreed for post-mortem of the firing victim.
The post-mortem was conducted by a Board of Doctors after which body of the youth was handed over to family members and the mob at 4 pm. While the vehicles carrying body of the youth left the GMC Jammu at 4.10 pm, it reached Choala at about 9 pm as vehicles moved slowly with people surrounding the body at various places to pay tributes.
Police said separate FIRs have also been lodged in the stabbing of Sub Inspector Arun Sharma at Satwari, police constable Joginder Pal at Digiana and snatching of his weapon and burning of news channel’s vehicle at Ranibagh.
Some people in the procession also subjected house of BJP MLA from RS Pura Gagan Bhagat to stone pelting. However, there was no damage or injuries to house inmates. The guards at the house didn’t retaliate.
Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said Army troops carried out flag march in disturbed areas of Miran Sahib, Satwari, Digiana, RS Pura, Talab Tillo and Government Medical College to control disturbances and violence prevalent for last two days.
“Two columns of Army troops at Miran Sahib Garrison were deployed after requisition for use of Army columns was received from civil administration last evening. Today morning, one more column of troops was set to control situation in RS Pura. Thereafter, early morning flag marches were conducted at RS Pura, Miran Sahib, Rani Ka Bagh, Satwari, Digiana, GMC and Talab Tillo. Situation is tense but under control. Protesters including women have been restricted to areas of Digiana and Rani Ka Bagh,’’ Lt Col Mehta said.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Tiger Division reviewed the situation in Jammu. He is in constant touch with civil administration to prevent further escalation of violence.
Though an undeclared curfew was imposed yesterday by the administration under the jurisdiction of Satwari and Miran Sahib police stations last evening including all areas from Satwari to Kulian in RS Pura, it didn’t have impact in some of the areas as people at Ranibagh continued to sit on the road shouting slogans against police denouncing the killing. At some other places, the people held protests but dispersed. Army remained deployed and staged flag marches to instill confidence among the people.
Though the District Magistrate had imposed prohibitory orders in entire Jammu district, it had no impact as people held protests at various parts of Jammu including Talab Tillo, Gole Gujral, Nanak Nagar, Bakshi Nagar, Malik Market, Simbal Camp, Ranibagh, Gadigarh, Digiana and various other places in the Jammu City and outskirts. Shops and business establishments remained closed at various places. In some of the areas, transport was also off the roads for some time.
However, according to sources, undeclared curfew will continue in the areas under the jurisdiction of Satwari and Miran Sahib police stations and troops will remain deployed in disturbed areas to keep situation under control.
Some miscreants pelted stones on two shops at Shiva Market, Railway Station damaging screens at one of the shops and throwing utensils at dhaba.
At Digiana, the people blocked Jammu-Pathankot National Highway. Later, they started `kirtan’ at the road. They continued `kirtan’ till late in the evening. The road remained blocked almost throughout the day. The people also shouted slogans against police condemning killing of the youth in the firing.
People also came on the National Highway at Rajbagh, Hatli Morh and Lachipur in Kathua district this morning and blocked road for second consecutive day today. They sat on the Highway at about 9 am and continued blockade of the Highway till 4.30 pm. Vehicular movement on the vital Highway remained disrupted almost throughout the day. However, there was no violence on the highway with people holding peaceful protests and dispersing peacefully.
A complete bandh was observed in Poonch today by all communities in protest against the killing of youth. Representatives of all communities and a large number of people gathered at Poonch Bus Stand and staged demonstration condemning police action on the peaceful protesters. In the evening, the people took out peace march in Poonch town pledging to maintain communal harmony in the district.
All shops, business establishments, banks, schools, colleges and Government offices remained closed in Poonch town and outskirts as mark of protest against the killing. However, the bandh passed off peacefully. Authorities under the supervision of SSP Poonch Jatinder Singh Johar had made elaborate security arrangements in the town.
In neighbouring Rajouri district, people held protest at Badhuni bridge for some time and then dispersed peacefully.
At Moarha Morh in Udhampur, the people blocked Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for about an hour to protest the killing. At Batote also on the same Highway, people blocked the road for half an hour, submitted memorandum to the Tehsildar demanding action against the police officers responsible for the firing and dispersed.
People also held protests at Sunderbani and Nowshera and blocked traffic for some time. They dispersed peacefully.
All schools and colleges in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch districts remained closed today by the order of administration.
In a statement, Mahant Manjit Singh ji of Shiromani Dera Nagali Sahib, Poonch said the protests will continue till their demands are accepted. He appealed to people of all communities to maintain communal harmony. He thanked SGPC Amritsar Jathedar Sri Akal Takhat Sahib, Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Delhi, Bar Association Jammu, Sikh Sangat of J&K and other communities for their sympathies on the killing of youth. He expressed deep shock over the killing and extended sympathies with the family of deceased.
Meanwhile, Legislative Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta today met Mahant Manjit Singh Ji of Digiana Ashram and discussed with him the prevailing situation in Jammu.
Gupta offered to bear entire expenditure for treatment of all those injured in firing by the police yesterday at a prominent hospital at Amritsar. He called for maintenance of peace and communal harmony in Jammu.
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