Bhaderwah, May 20:
Day curfew was lifted from Jammu and Kashmir’s Bhaderwah town on Monday since its imposition last week following the killing of a person in a firing incident and subsequent violence, DG of J&K Police Dilbag Singh said. The DGP along with Jammu Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma and Jammu Inspector General of Police M K Sinha visited the communally sensitive town and chaired a joint meeting with both Muslim and Hindu community leaders. They also separately met a delegation of BJP leaders led by party’s general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul. “Day curfew has been lifted completely. We talked with both the communities and some political leaders who were on a visit and assured everyone that the investigation of the case is taking place on its merit and will be taken to its logical conclusion without showing any favour to anyone,” Singh told reporters in the town. Doda Development Commissioner Sagar Doifode, Deputy Inspector General of Police Bhim Sen Tuti and Doda Senior Superintendent of Police Shabir Ahmad Malik also attended the meeting. Bhaderwah town witnessed violent protests on May 16 following the killing of Nayeem Shah at Kachi Nalthivillage. Violence had broken out after the killing and a number of vehicles were damaged by stone-pelting protesters who also set ablaze a few vehicles. The district administration had refuted reports that “cow vigilantism” was the reason behind the killing of Shah and said some people were trying to give a communal colour to the incident.
Doifode on Sunday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the killing of Shah and subsequent stone-pelting, and directed Thathri Sub-Divisional Magistrate Mohammad Anwar Banday to submit his report within seven days.
The DGP appealed to people to maintain brotherhood and communal harmony.
“The decision to lift the curfew was taken in view of the improvement in overall situation. The district administration will take a decision about the restoration of the mobile internet services in due course of time,” Singh said.
Earlier in the day, Bhaderwah Tehsildar Zeeshan Tahir said curfew was relaxed at 10.30 am initially for one-and-a-half hours and subsequently extended for two more hours after the first relaxation period passed off peacefully.
On Sunday, authorities had relaxed curfew in a phased manner for one hour each in different areas of the town during which local residents thronged markets to buy essential commodities.
Soon after the relaxation was announced on Monday morning, shops and business establishments opened and public and private transport resumed, giving semblance of normalcy.
Long queues were witnessed outside ATMs and shops dealing with essential commodities like milk and vegetables besides other daily use items, officials said.
They said police and CRPF personnel remained deployed in strength in sensitive areas as a precautionary measure as prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC are being enforced strictly to maintain law and order.
Prominent among those who attended Monday’s joint meeting are Anjaman-e-Islamia president Pervez Ahmad Sheikh, Sanathan Dharam Sabha chief Ved Kumar Kotwal and respectables Ashraf Goni, Tanvir Ahmad Beig, Sarpanches Ashok Sharma and Shabir Khan and Mast Nath Yogi, the officials said.
They said Koul-led BJP delegation held a separate meeting with visiting officials and discussed the prevailing situation.
The delegation members include MP Rajya Sabha Shemsher Singh Manhas and former legislators Sunil Sharma, Shakti Raj Parihar and Dilip Singh Parihar.
