Jammu, Feb 7: Police today claimed to have arrested nine people including a DDC member from Kahra constituency in Doda district, Mehraj Din Malik, and seven others with regard to the Malik Market stone pelting case.
Police sources told Greater Kashmir that, “The police have arrested nine people including DDC Mehraj Din Malik. Malik was arrested for alleged involvement in provoking people and those involved in stone pelting.”
Malik, Aam Aadmi Party’s elected DDC, had given a statement against the eviction drive following which he was taken into custody by the concerned police and then booked, as per the sources in police department.
Meanwhile, they said that the police have also detained seven other people for their role in provoking people in Malik Market that resulted in stone pelting during an anti-encroachment drive.
“The investigation is in progress and the police will present a challan before the court. We have also counseled the parents of the arrested as well as detained people so that they do not indulge in such acts in future,” they added.
Meanwhile, they said that more arrests cannot be ruled out in the stone pelting case.
Pertinently, the police had to resort to use of fire smoke shells following a massive protest demonstration when a group of youth pelted stones at the JCB machines which were dismantling a prominent showroom in Malik Market.
As soon as the situation turned tense, the people in large numbers gathered on the highway and blocked it while some pelted stones on the commuters, police and the JCB machines. Although the anti-encroachment drive was stopped immediately, tension gripped the area and the large number of police personnel were deployed to control the situation.
