Excelsior Correspondent
—Excelsior/Gautam
SAMBA, Apr 27: In a quick action, Samba Police today rescued all bovine animals from being roasted alive, which were being smuggled from Kathua to Srinagar after the frenzied mob set one of the trucks on fire, which was carrying bovines at Ghagwal. The police also doused the flames, arrested all four bovine smugglers and registered a FIR against them.
According to SSP Samba Anil Magotra, the frenzied mob at Ghagwal who were protesting against the water scarcity in the area after seeing two trucks carrying bovine animals after crossing the Londhi Naka at Hira Nagar in Kathua district, coming towards Jammu, stopped them and set one of the trucks on fire.
Mr Magotra said however the alert police personnel on duty led by SHO Ghagwal Inspector Bharat Sharma swung into action and police not only rescued all the bovine animals but also doused the flames and saved the truck from maximum damage and arrested all the four smugglers.
He said a case against the bovine smugglers has been registered in Ghagwal Police Station. The arrested smugglers included Ghulam Rasool of Reasi, Surinder Kumar of R S Pura, Mohammed Rafiq of Reasi and Mohamed Riaz of Kheora Rajouri.
Sources said that two trucks bearing number JK13 A 101 and JK02-1611 were loaded with bovine animals at Hatli Khud in Kathua district and they were being carried to Srinagar. The Police has also seized both the trucks he added.
The two trucks were carrying 16 bovine animals, eight each. One ox was found dead in the truck.
The people in Ghagwal were protesting against the water scarcity in the area after the burning down of tube well. The protesters had blocked the Jammu Pathankote National Highway at Ghagwal. The SSP Samba, Anil Magotra and Tehsildar Samba, Kulbushan Khajuria reached the spot and appealed the people to lift the road blockade as water supply will be resumed this evening. The people on their assurance lifted the blockade to throw the road open.
Meanwhile the protesters saw the two trucks were carrying bovines to Srinagar. Seeing the mob the driver of truck JK02-1611 tried to return to Kathua but the protesters ghearoed the trucks and set one of them on fire.
Later in the evening Raj Bagh Police in Kathua district also seized a truck bearing number JK08-5312 and rescued five bovine animals which were being carried to Srinagar in Kashmir valley. However the smugglers managed to escape.
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