Jammu bandh: 80 arrested, 40 injured

Jammu, Jul 25 (UNI) At least 80 people, including political leaders, were arrested and 40 injured in police-public clashes in and around the city over the death of a protestor, who killed himself over Amarnath land issue on July 23.

''Around eighty people have been detained so far, including leaders of various political parties and protestors,'' official sources said here today.

However, the protestors took to the streets in the morning and fought with the security forces expressing anger over the death of Kuldeep Kumar Dogra, a protestor of the Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti (AYSS).

The furious mob pelted stones and set police vehicle on fire forcing police and CRPF personnel to resort to cane-charge in which at least 35 people, including policemen were injured.

''Sixty people have been arrested from the city and surrounding areas where locals pelted stones and glass bottles,'' a senior police official told UNI, adding tear gas shells and rubber bullets were fired to disperse the mob.

Meanwhile, there was also protest in bordering Bishnah area, the native village of Kuldeep Dogra. The people burnt tyres, blocked roads and thrashed the policemen.

Ten people were arrested for setting police vehicle on fire while five got injured when police chased the protestors, they said.

Ten more people were arrested around the city.

The protest started in winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir after a youth of the Sangharsh Samiti chain hunger strike allegedly committed suicide at the site of agitation at parade ground.

The Samiti had announced a week-long agitation demanding revocation of nearly 40 hectares of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and removal of Governor N N Vohra.

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