An unruly mob attacked a police party during a search operation in the border area of Kathua district on early Sunday morning. Some policemen were injured in the attack while other cops saved their lives after firing some rounds in the air to disperse the mob, believed to be inter-state narcotics and cattle smugglers.
Police arrested an accused person for attacking a police party during a search operation in Maggar Khad village of Kathua district in view of the forthcoming Independence Day.
According to the police, a team of Police Station Lakhanpur along with the Special Operation Group (SoG) led by DySP operation Kathua Tilak Raj Bhardwaj and SHO Lakhanpur Inspector Vijay Kotwal were conducting a search operation in Maggar Khad after getting information about the presence of some suspects in this belt.
This search operation was launched in connection with strengthening security for the forthcoming Independence Day.
As this belt is infamous as an infiltration route of terrorists from across the border, senior officers were themselves supervising the search operation to plug all loopholes.
Mob attacks the police party with sharp-edged weapons
Reports said that during the search operation, a group of people led by Mohammad Sharif and Shadu-both Maggar Khan's residents and other miscreants attacked the police party with lathis, sharp-edged weapons, and also pelted stones to kill and commit murder as they were performing their legitimate duties.
"Due to attack some police personnel got severely injured and in order to disperse the mob, police party fired some warning shots in the air for self-defense and thereafter the police team succeeded in detaining one person namely Mohammad Sharif along with the sharp-edged weapon", police said.
A case vide FIR No. 70/2022 U/S 307/353/332//147/149 IPC, 4/25 Arms Act has been registered at Police Station Lakhanpur and investigation has been taken up, besides search to nab other accused person was going on.
Area is notorious for narcotics, cattle smuggling
According to police, this border belt of Kathua district is notorious for giving shelter to inter-state narcotics and cattle smugglers.
Recently, activities of Pakistan-controlled were observed in this area so the police started a search operation to keep a watch on the activities of some suspects.
The chronic bovine smugglers damaged several police vehicles on February 8, 2020, when three cattle-laden trucks were stopped in Village Maggar Khad Lakhanpur and attacked the policemen.
