Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 15: Tension gripped Chatru and Kishtwar this morning when an ancient temple and two houses of minorities either caught fire or were burnt under mysterious circumstances in the wee hours but there were no casualties. However, the temple and both the houses were gutted.
Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to unravel the truth as to whether the temple and houses were burnt by some miscreants to create communal trouble in sensitive Kishtwar town or they caught fire accidentally.
Minister of State for Works and BJP MLA from Kishtwar Sunil Sharma and IGP Jammu Danish Rana flew-in to Chatru this morning and accompanied by DIG Doda-Ramban range Nissar Ahmad and SSP Kishtwar Sandeep Wazir visited the place for on spot assessment of the situation and inter-act with the people to defuse the tension.
DIG Nissar Ahmad told the Excelsior that fire was first noticed in second floor of the house of Rakesh Kumar son of Bhag Chand at village Shan Sheeri near Mugal Maidaan in Chatru area of Kishtwar district. While Rakesh was working in New Delhi, his family members sleeping on ground floor of the house managed to come out safely. The fire then spread to adjacent houses of Rakesh Kumar’s uncle Mallal Chand.
The local people informed the Fire tenders, which reached the spot but can’t prevent the houses from gutting. Within an hour, the local people spotted major fire in ancient Mehar Goswami temple housing various idols including that of Kumar Kartikeya Ji and again called the fire tenders. The temple was gutted in the devastating blaze but idol of Kumar Kartikeya was safe.
Sources said the burning of temple and two houses of minority community led to tension in Chatru and Kishtwar town this morning with people staging dharnas at both places and shopkeepers observed shutdown.
Shops of both the communities were close in Chatru while shops and business establishments of minorities were closed in Kishtwar town. People also staged dharnas at both the places demanding high level inquiry into the fire incidents describing them as an act of mischievous elements, who want to create trouble in Kishtwar.
However, Minister Sunil Sharma, IGP Danish Rana, DIG Nissar Ahmad and SSP Kishtwar Sandeep Wazir inter-acted with the people and assured them that if the fire was result of mischief stern action will be taken against the accused.
The administration also provided on spot compensation for the house inmates apart from household goods and promised re-construction of the temple.
Following assurance by the Minister and police officers, the people lifted their dharna.
Meanwhile, police have registered FIR No. 68/2015 under Sections 436 and 295-A at Chatru police station in the fire incidents.
A SIT headed by SP Abdul Qayoom has been constituted for detailed investigations of the case. Other members of the SIT included Senior Prosecuting Officer (SPO) Mansoor Ahmed and SHO Chatru Inspector Ravi Kant.
The SIT will work under the supervision of SSP Kishtwar Sandeep Wazir.
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