JK orders probe into police firing in Samba

New Delhi, Aug 5: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has ordered a magisterial probe into the police firing in Samba District in which two people were killed and 18 were injured on Monday, Aug 4.

The firing took place during a protest march on the Amarnath land transfer row. The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, will convene an all-party meeting on the Amarnath land transfer row on Wednesday, Aug 6 in the wake of violent protests in Jammu over the revocation of forestland allotted to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) showing no signs of abating.

Dr. Singh is expected to brief political leaders about the steps being taken by the Centre to maintain communal harmony across the country. Leaders of national and regional political parties have been invited for the meeting.

On Monday, the Centre rushed Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh to Jammu to carry out an assessment of the situation. They interacted with the State Government officials and the Army.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil also convened a meeting at his residence to review the situation.

The ongoing violence in Jammu is fast assuming communal dimensions and has spread to Srinagar. There are reports of protesters stopping trucks that were carrying essential supplies to the Kashmir Valley.

Meanwhile, a shutdown call given by the Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti, a conglomerate of 35 political, social and religious organisations fighting for the restoration of land to the SASB, entered its 14th day on Tuesday. Most areas have been placed under curfew.

ANI