Cash, mobile, other valuables looted from Amarnath yatris in Kashmir

Srinagar, July 11 (UNI) A fellow yatri looted cash, mobile phones and other valuables from a group of Amarnath pilgrims from Punjab after they fell unconscious when they consumed sweets, a police spokesman said.

He said a group of 29 pilgrims from Punjab fell unconscious when a yatri, travelling with them in the same vehicle from Jammu, offered them sweets at Nehru park, to celebrate the birth of a male child in his family.

However, when the pilgrims ate sweets, they immediately fell unconscious in their hotel rooms. The yatri, who identified himself as Ashok Kumar, also from Punjab, later took away cash, two mobile phones and other valuables.

The owner of the hotel informed the police from Nehru police station which immediately took the pilgrims to SMHS hospital where 16 of them were admitted.

They were discharged this morning, he said adding that the pilgrims had since left for holy cave from Baltal.

He said a case has been registerd in the police station.

We are trying to contact Punjab police and get details of Ashok, he added that a police party will be sent to Punjab if necessary.

This is the second such incident since the two-month-long yatra started from July 2.

Last week an unidentified person, who identified himself as representative of the firm which provides helicopter service to cave, took away more than Rs 75,000 from a group of pilgrims, promising them to provide helicopter tickets.

UNI