J&K: 18 police, forest dept officials injured after locals pelt stones during anti-encroachment drive

Ramban: At least 18 personnel of police and forest departments were injured after locals pelted stones at them during an anti-encroachment drive in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district. The injured have been moved to a nearby hospital for treatment.

According to DFO Kuldeep Singh, some anti-social elements along with encroachers attacked the joint team of J&K Police and forest department and pelted stones at them in Ramban district’s Batote region.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed in the incident and the police have launched a full-scale investigation.

Last year in May, a similar incident had happened where Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and J&K Police met with a lot of resistance from locals during an anti-encroachment drive in Mandal, outskirts of Jammu.

The protesters had tried to prevent the police from demarcating the JDA lands and removing encroachments, resulting in clashes in which several people suffered injuries and two women fell unconscious. Some persons were also detained during the drive, the officials had said. (Agencies)