Seven members of a family in Trichal village of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir were injured in clash with police while resisting construction of road on their land they alleged was being “forcibly” taken away from them.
Police however disputed the allegation saying the locals “prevented us from doing our job” and also pelted stones on the personnel.
Sources told Greater Kashmir that clashes erupted after the landowners objected the road construction on their land demarcated for the purpose by the authorities.
Khursheed Ahmad, one of the landowners, alleged that the administration was “forcibly” taking away their land to construct a road.
“We denied them our land, but the police fired tear smoke shells and lathicharged women and children present there, leaving seven locals injured,” Khursheed alleged.
He said the injured were shifted to Mandi hospital for treatment.
Police rebutted the claims by locals about forcibly taking their land.
SHO Mandi, Bashir Ahmad said that the locals prevented the road construction and pelted them with stones leaving “several cops injured”.
He however acknowledged that a “few civilians were injured too”.