‘Cattle smuggling’: Mob torches truck
Vehicle was carrying nine bovines
JAMMU : A truck allegedly used for cattle smuggling was set on fire by a mob in Hiranagar subdivision of Kathua district on Monday, police said.
According to the reports, the truck was moving in Ghagwal area in the wee hours on Monday, when it was spotted by the locals, who got suspicious and signalled the driver to stop. However, the driver accelerated and tried to flee from the area. After moving a few kilometers the truck got trapped at Pathwal village and nine bovines were found inside it.
A group of people stopped the truck carrying nine cows and buffaloes in the village and set ablaze the vehicle after “rescuing” the animals, an official said. According to police, the driver and the conductor of the vehicle abandoned the truck on noticing the mob and escaped.
PROTESTERS BLOCK NATIONAL HIGHWAY
The protesters shouting slogans demanded immediate arrest of both the accused and alleged that bovine smuggling was going on unabated in the area. Later, the protesters marched from Pathwal village to Dayalachak and blocked the JammuPathankot national highway.
To remove the blockade, police used mild lathi charge and dispersed the crowd from the highway.
However, after a short while the crowd swelled and large number of protesters blocked the national highway. Police had to resort to lathi charge and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. A few protesters also suffered minor injuries. After assurance of speedy action against the culprits by the police, the protest was called off, police said. In Samba district, police arrested two cattle smugglers and rescued 16 bovines in two separate incidents on Monday.