Mobile internet services restored, curfew relaxed for 3 hours in Kishtwar

Mobile internet services in curfew-bound Kishtwar township of Jammu and Kashmir was restored on Monday after remaining suspended for the past six days following improvement in the overall law and order situation, a senior government official said.

The curfew, which was promulgated in the town and adjoiningareas Tuesday last week following the killing of senior RSS leader ChanderkantSharma and his security guard by militants inside a health centre, was alsorelaxed for three hours from mid-day, the official said.

   

“The situation is fast limping back to normalcy…Themobile internet services were restored, while the curfew was relaxed from 12.00pm to 3 pm for the first time in the entire town,” district developmentcommissioner, Kishtwar, A S Rana told PTI. 

He said heavy rush of shoppers was witnessed in the mainmarkets during the relaxation period, which passed off peacefully.

“We are monitoring the situation and are planning torelax curfew again later in the day,” the official said, adding that thesituation is well under control.

The RSS leader’s killing triggered violent protests withangry mourners ransacking the office of the senior superintendent of police,prompting authorities to impose strict curfew in the communally-sensitive townand adjoining areas.  

Earlier, authorities had relaxed the curfew in a phasedmanner for one hour on April 12 and again for a few hours in different phaseson Sunday. Minor incidents of protests were witnessed in some parts of thecurfew-bound town Saturday, following which no relaxation was given in thecurfew.

The army continued to remain deployed and is assistingCentral Reserve Police Force and police to maintain law and order, officialssaid.

The mobile internet services were suspended in the entireChenab Valley belt comprising Kishtwar, Doda and Rajouri districts Tuesday, butwere restored in Doda and Ramban districts Friday night. 

With no untoward incident reported in Kishtwar, the internetservices were also restored there this afternoon, the officials said.

Police had picked up several over ground workers (OGWs) forinterrogation in connection with the killing of Sharma and his PSO, while amassive hunt is on to nab the culprits.

Police has also seized the car used in the attack andreleased a picture of its owner, Zahid Hussain, who has been absconding sincethe day of the attack.

Kishtwar, which is part of the Udhampur-Kathua Lok Sabha constituency, goes to polls in the second phase of elections on April 18. The campaigning has been hit badly due to curfew for the past one week.

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