Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 17: Tension gripped parts of Sarore on Jammu-Pathankot National Highway as people blocked the Highway and subjected police personnel to stone pelting following sacrilegious act reported from Sarore Link Road, falling under the jurisdiction of Bishnah police station.
Nearly a dozen police personnel and protesters were injured as police resorted to lathicharge and tear gassing to disperse the crowd, which had blocked the National Highway in protest against the sacrilegious act.
Authorities immediately snapped internet in three districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua to prevent spread of any kind of rumours on the sacrilegious act.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Dr SD Singh told the Excelsior that situation was well under control and the internet was snapped as precautionary measure. The internet was likely to be restored tomorrow if the situation remained normal.
Tension gripped Link Road from Sarore to Bishnah this morning when people observed sacrilegious act. As the news spread, people gathered in large number and marched towards Jammu-Pathankot National Highway at Sarore, blocking the road and shouting slogans.
Police teams from Jammu led by SSP Jammu Vivek Gupta and SSP Samba Anil Magotra reached the spot and talked to the protesting people.
However, some of the youths started pelting stones on police personnel and beat-up a police driver in whose vehicle, bodies of the two animals were being taken for post-mortem in the hospital. Police fired teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob.
After about half an hour long clashes, the protesters dispersed and traffic was resumed on the National Highway.
SSP Samba Anil Magotra and half a dozen police personnel while six to seven protesters were injured in the clashes. However, injuries to all of them were minor and none of them required hospitalization.
Magotra said the National Highway was cleared within an hour of the protests.
The case was registered at Bishnah police station.
SSP Jammu Vivek Gupta said post-mortem of both the animals was got conducted through a Board of Doctors by the police at Veterinary Hospital in Belicharana.
Report of the post-mortem is awaited, he added.
Gupta said police was investigating the case and efforts were on to identity the culprits and nab them at the earliest.
Meanwhile, internet services in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts remained snapped till late tonight.
Sources said authorities would review situation tomorrow morning before taking a decision on restoration of internet services.
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