Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 29: A man was stoned to death over a minor issue by seven to eight persons in Kaleeth area of Akhnoor tehsil.
According to the reports, on the intervening night of October 28 and 29, the victim identified as Showkat Ali (35) son of Gamma, resident of Nargara (Gharota) along with Mohd Rafiq son of Ghulam Nabi and Abdul Gani son of Abdul Karim had gone to Dhangri Nallah in Kaleeth area falling under the jurisdiction of police post Jourian, with their respective tractor trolleys to load sand.
“At about 12:15 am, two persons namely Ganga Singh alias Kugi, son of Bharat Singh and Ravinder Singh alias (Ludri), son of Kalli Singh, both residents of Dhangri (Kaleeth) reached the spot and demanded Rs 500 each from them for allowing them to load sand but when they refused to pay the amount, they started abusing them and asked them to leave the place”, the reports said.
When the trio left from the spot with their tractor trolleys and reached Dangari Chowk at about 1:30 am, both Ganga and Ravinder along with 6-7 persons with criminal intention stopped the tractor of Showkat Ali and started beating him with fist, blows and stones with intention to kill them.
During the scuffle they hit Showkat Ali with stones on the head. The seriously injured Showket Ali was rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, but he succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. After completing all medico-legal formalities, the body of the deceased was handed over to his legal heirs for last rites.
According to Inspector Pushpinder Singh, SHO, police station Akhnoor, they have registered a case FIR No 154/2016 under Sections 302/341/323/147 RPC in this connection and arrested one of the accused, Ganga Singh while raids are being conducted to arrest other accused, who are absconding.