JK Congress delegation visits protesters in Katra, extends support to them over ropeway project
Jammu(PTI): A Jammu and Kashmir Congress delegation, which visited labourers protesting against the proposed ropeway project along the track to the cave shrine in Katra base camp in Reasi district, expressed grave concern over the livelihood of thousands of workers engaged in facilitating pilgrims to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
The delegation members alleged that they were briefly stopped by the police en route to Jammu.
Two leaders representing labourers and shopkeepers in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district were detained on Wednesday following fresh protests at Katra. The duo was released after an hour-long detention by the police.
The delegation, led by JK Congress working president Raman Bhalla and including former ministers Choudhary Lal Singh, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma and others, was restrained at Bun for about an hour from proceeding to Katra to meet the agitating labourers and shopkeepers, a Congress spokesperson said.
He added that they were allowed to proceed only after the intervention of the Jammu divisional commissioner.
JK Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra expressed strong objections to the police's actions, particularly in restraining senior Congress leaders en route to Katra to meet the labourers.
"I condemn in the strongest terms the anarchist attitude of the police. They must understand that it's the people's government this time, and such hegemonial attitudes of the administration and their insensitive approach to such issues will be confronted tooth and nail," Karra said.
However, the police denied the allegations levelled by the Congress delegation against them.
Earlier, the delegation of senior Congress leaders met the Jammu divisional commissioner and discussed the situation in Katra, particularly the arrest of some labourers and the police's use of force on labour leaders at Katra, the spokesperson said.
They lodged a protest over the police action following negotiations between the administration and the protesters, leading to the suspension of the agitation. The divisional commissioner immediately intervened and ordered the release of the arrested individuals, he said.
Later, the delegation visited Katra and met hundreds of agitating labourers who were waiting for their arrival at Shalamar Park under the leadership of Bhupinder Singh. The large gathering raised strong slogans in support of the Congress leaders for their solidarity and support, the spokesperson said.
The Congress extended its full support to the protesting labourers and shopkeepers in addressing their concerns and issues, he said.
The labourers expressed their gratitude to the Congress leaders for their support, for meeting them and for securing the release of their leaders from police custody.
Protesters' leaders Bhupinder Singh and Sohan Singh said they were peacefully agitating for their cause. After the administration intervened, it was decided to hold further dialogue on the contentious ropeway issue, as it would leave thousands of labourers jobless.
However, the police resorted to harsh action the following day, vitiating the atmosphere and beating and arresting them, they said.
Speaking on the occasion, Raman Bhalla, Lal Singh, Manohar Lal Sharma, and Ravinder Sharma assured their support for justice to the labourers and for finding an amicable solution to the issue.
They urged the protesters to continue their peaceful agitation.
The leaders expressed concern over the livelihood of thousands of workers engaged in facilitating pilgrims to the holy shrine, as well as the trade in Katra, which would be affected by the proposed project.
They called on the administration and the shrine board to address the concerns of all stakeholders before moving forward with the project to ensure there is no disruption in the smooth conduct of the yatra.
They also expressed gratitude to the divisional commissioner for his intervention and urged the administration to refrain from adopting an anti-labourer stance.
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Jharkhand horror: Man kills live-in partner, chops body into 40 pieces
Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.
The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.
Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.
"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.
Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.
“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.
Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.
"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.
The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.
Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.
"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.
The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.
Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.
