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| Jammu tense: SSP transferred, SHO suspended | | People defy curfew, set ablaze 2 vehicles of news channel, block National Highway | |  Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 5: Day after a Sikh youth was killed in the alleged police firing government on Friday transferred the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jammu Uttam Chand and placed the Station House Officer Kulbir Singh under suspension. Amidst hectic activities to normalize the situation in Satwari area, locals defied curfew and took to the streets and staged massive protests to mourn the killing.
Police had allegedly opened fire on people protesting the removal of Khalistan militant Jarnail Singh Bhinderawale's posters on Thursday.
The decision to transfer the SSP and suspend the SHO was taken in marathon meeting of the state and police administration with the representatives of Sikh community on late Friday night which ended around 12 'o clock.
The meeting which started at 7 PM was attended by DGP K Rajendra, Principal Secretary (Home ) Division al Commisioner Jammu , IGP Jammu, DIG Jammu and other senior police officers.
Though none of the police and civil officer, who were present in the meeting, responded to the calls, Ex MLC TS Wazir said all the demands of the protestors were met.
He said the administration had agreed to suspend SHO Satwari and transfer SSP Jammu. Administration also agreed to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased and a government job for his sister. He added, saying that the meeting also agreed to release all those Sikh protestors who had been rounded up by police during the past three days.
Pertinently, the Sikh youth Jagjit Singh, son of Narveer Singh of Chohala, was killed allegedly in police firing on a violent mob near Satwari yesterday. Sensing more trouble after the killing, the district administration had placed Satwari, Rani Park, Gadi Garh, Bhore Camp, Chatha and some other nearby areas under curfew for an indefinite period. Section 144, which restricts the assembling of 4-5 people at one place, was imposed in Gole Gujaral locality and some other sensitive Jammu areas as a precautionary measure.
Soon after the Jagjit's killing, his body was removed by police to the GMCH where post-mortem was conducted on it by a board of doctors. Several senior police and civil officers were also present on the occasion, besides the family members of the victim and hundreds of their community members.
After the post-mortem, the body was taken by the people to the victim's home at Chohala in a vehicle. Those, who accompanied it in cars and on two-wheelers, raised anti-police and pro-Khalistan slogans. The body would be consigned to flames near Chohala on Saturday, a police officer said.
The policeman, who happens to be PSO of SSP, Jammu, was found guilty of opening fire and killing Jagjit. He was today booked by Satwari police in a murder case under section 302 of RPC. He was, however, yet to be taken into custody, the officer informed.
Heavy contingents of police were tonight deployed at Chohala and its adjoining localities to avoid any untoward incidenttomorrow when last rites on the body would be performed.
The officer said while the body was being taken to Chohala, some agitated Sikh youth first stoned two vehicles of ABP news channel, which were covering the incident, and then set them ablaze for the alleged biased role of media in covering the incident and portraying Bhinderawale as a militant. The crew, however, escaped unhurt. The cameras of some photo journalists were also broken by the violent protesters.
The protesters have been demanding government job for one of the family member's of the victim, non-registration of police cases against the Sikh youth who were found involved in violence, suspension of SSP, Jammu, and SHO of Satwari police station and transfers of the senior police and civil officers of Jammu division who failed to handle the situation and stop it from worsening further.
SI Arun Kumar was stabbed by a Sikh youth Wednesday when the Bhinderwale's posters were removed by police. Last evening, some protesters snatched DSP Mohammad Rafiq's PSO Joginder Paul's AK service rifle after allegedly hitting him with a sharp weapon. He was shifted to the GMCH here.
The army has been called to restore law and order situation while heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces has been made in Sikh-majority areas.
The indefinite curfew in areas under the jurisdiction of Satwari and Mirian Sahib police stations would continue till further orders, the officer said.
Meanwhile, protests were today also held in Kashmir, besides Poonch, Rajouri, Samba and Kathua. A complete bandh was observed in Poonch as mark of protest against the Sikh youth's killing in police firing.
The national highway was blocked by the protesters at Digiana, Rajbagh, Magar Khud and Hatli Morh in Kathua. In Jammu, protests were held in various areas like Digiana, Gangyal, Canal, Tallab Tilloo, Rehari, Bakshinagar, Narwal and Gole Gujral areas.
Streets of Jammu wore a deserted look and business establishments remained closed. Mobile and internet services were also suspended in Jammu. Schools and colleges in several districts of the region were closed.
Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength in sensitive areas of Jammu city where the situation is described by authorities as "tense but under control".
Army late last night had staged a flag march in parts of Jammu following violent clashes.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh today briefed Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the situation.
"The Home Minister has offered all possible support to the Jammu and Kashmir government for dealing with the situation", he added.
Rajnath Singh also spoke to Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and offered him sufficient number of armed forces personnel in case the need arose.
Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee has, in a letter to the state government, condemned police action regarding removal of the hoarding carrying the photograph of Bhindrawale and accused police of mishandling the situation and allowing it to go out of control. It has demanded suspension of SSP Jammu, Uttam Chand and SHO Satwari Kulvir Singh.
To diffuse the situation, senior police and civil officers also had a meeting with prominent Sikh leaders at PWD Dak Bungalow, Gandhi Nagar. The meeting, which started at 7 pm, lasted a few hours.
If the situation improved Saturday after the cremation of Jagjit's body, the curfew was likely to be relaxed in the evening, the police officer said.
He also appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony at all costs and not fall prey to the designs of anti-social and anti-national elements.
The chief minister and his deputy Nirmal Singh have also appealed for peace.
Expressing deep sorrow and anguish over the loss of a precious human life during protests by the members of the Sikh community, Sayeed said it was the responsibility of police to maintain law and order andat the same time Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) should be strictly adhered to in order to avoid such tragedies during public protests.
Nirmal claimed that an investigation was being held into the incident involving killing of the youth and the guilty would face action in accordance with law.
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah hit out at the PDP-BJP government over waving of Pakistani flags in the valley and emergence of Khalistani posters in Jammu, saying it had not been able to bring "regional balance" in the state.
"My heartfelt condolences to the family of the young man killed by police firing in Jammu. May his soul rest in peace," he said.
Meanwhile, All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) has expressed concern over the killing and demanded a judicial probe into the incident. |
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