Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Oct 16: Following a group clash between the members of two communities over land dispute in which nine persons were injured, the Government ordered a magisterial probe into the incident and imposed Section 145 in the disputed piece of land at village Sain Lanjan, Gujjar Kothi near Salal Hydel Project.
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Police have registered two separate FIRs in this connection on the complaints of both the rival parties while three of the injured have been referred to GMC Hospital Jammu.
According to DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range, Gareeb Dass, who rushed to the spot immediately after the trouble spread and interacted with both the groups to defuse tension, the problem erupted this afternoon after some altercation between the two groups over an alleged illegal construction by one Mohd Bashir on the disputed land. The heated exchange of words soon led to group clash in which nine persons from both the groups sustained injuries, he added.
The reports of group clash spread like a wild fire in Reasi town where people from the minority community took to streets leading to tension. The District administration and Police immediately swung into action and controlled the situation besides shifting the injured to District Hospital. Three among the injured, identified as Kulwant Singh, Pardeep Singh and his mother Satya Devi were referred to GMC Jammu in view of grievous injuries.
After consultation with the members of both the communities, Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, Shahid Iqbal imposed Section 145 in Khasra Number 240 and 241 in village Sain Lanjan, Gujjar Kothi in land belonging to NHPC where two groups clashed today, said an official spokesman adding that the disputed land has been kept on spaurdanama.
Further, the spokesman added, a magisterial enquiry has been ordered into allegations of lapse on part of Revenue and Police officials in taking cognizance of illegal construction by Mohd Bashir on the disputed land. Assistant Commissioner Revenue Tilak Raj Shastri will head the Magisterial Enquiry which will associate DySP HQ J S Slathia and other members. Apart from that a Commission has also been appointed for demarcation of entire land including State land, NHPC and river bed were dispute on sand extraction was also reported recently between the same groups.
Commission will be headed by ACR and will have Tehsildar Rajiv Magotra, Naib Tehsildars Rajesh Baru and Prithvi Singh as members. Action will be taken against the Revenue and Police officials after the report of magisterial enquiry is submitted by the ACR for which the Deputy Commissioner has given six days time, while as the Commission has been appointed to demarcate the land within a period of 15 days, the spokesman said.
General Manager NHPC has also been directed to present a detailed report on the acquired land within two days and explain reasons for abandoning the acquired land which was encroached and has been dispute between two parties.
Following the decisions announced by the DIG Udhampur-Reasi range, the DC and SSP Reasi, members of both the communities called off the protest call given by them.
DIG Gareeb Dass, Deputy Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary and SSP Mohammad Sharief Chouhan negotiated with the protestors and leaders of various organizations. They assured that no official would be spared if any lapse is reported by the Magisterial Enquiry.
As the main accused have also sustained minor injuries in the clash, arrests are likely to be made after their discharge from the hospital, police said.
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