J&K Police Sunday arrested ten persons including an ex-minister and ‘top heads’ of Sanathan Dharam Sabha charging them with “rioting, criminal trespass and causing damage to public properties” in Kishtwar.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Shakti KumarPathak, told Greater Kashmir that ten persons including ex-minister, SunilKumar Sharma, and top heads of Sanathan Dharam were arrested today for”committing several offences”.
“A case has been registered against all the ten accusedunder sections 147, 148, 447A, 452, 336 of Ranbir Penal Code and under section3 of J&K Public Property (Prevention of Damage) Act at police stationKishtwar”, he added.
Pertinently, during a protest on Saturday, the protestersallegedly headed by top heads of Sanatan Dharm and the ex-minister in questionhad raised slogans against the police and the administration. The mob hadtorched governor’s effigy alleging that the police and the administration hadfailed to arrest the culprits involved in the murder of RSS leader Chander KantSharma, and Parihar brothers.
The mob also entered into the office of DC Kishtwar anddamaged public properties including the official vehicles of AdditionalDistrict Magistrate (ADM) and others.
RSS leader Chander Kant Sharma was killed by unknown gunmenon 9 April while BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar werekilled on 1 November 2018. On the demand of the local residents, NationalInvestigating Agency took over from the police the investigation into Pariharmurders.
In Sharma murder, there has been no arrest so far, althoughthe police said one of the culprits has been identified.