Mangat’s grandson opens firing

Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Nov 22: Police have detained the grandson of former Deputy Chief Minister, Mangat Ram Sharma and son of PDP candidate from Kathua Assembly Segment, Subash Sharma for firing upon family of Congress candidate and former Minister Babu Singh here this evening.
Panic gripped the Kathua township soon after the incident and senior police officers including SSP Kathua Pawan Parihar rushed to the spot. The police detained Nitin Sharma, the grand son of Mangat Ram Sharma involved in the shoot out and also seized his service revolver.
Police said that the two families are neighbours and their houses are adjoining to each other. He said earlier Nitin Sharma abused the family members of Babu Singh and later fired upon them with his service revolver.
Police swung into action soon after the incident and arrested Nitin. Later his weapon was also seized. The Kathua Police has also registered a case under relevant sections of the law.
It may be recalled that father of Nitin Sharma, Subash Sharma is contesting the Assembly elections on PDP ticket from Kathua Assembly segment  while Babu Singh is the Congress candidate from the same Constituency.
Later the Congress workers led by Babu Singh also lodged a strong protest in the town against Mangat Ram Sharma and PDP and demanded action against Nitin.
They also said that candidates and their family members have to surrender the weapon in their respective police stations after the announcement of elections till the poll process is over but the family failed to do the same.
The irate Congress activists also shouted slogans against the PDP and Mangat Ram Sharma.