Calves’ carcasses sparks protests in Jammu town; highway blocked

Authorities grappled with protesters and suspended mobile internet in three districts of Jammu region.

Authorities grappled with protesters and suspended mobile internet in parts of Jammu region after children playing cricket found the carcasses of two calves in a drain on Tuesday morning.

Soldiers positions outside a military station in Jammu in February 2018. Parts of the Jammu region are tense over carcasses of two calves being found in a drain.(AFP file photo)

Hundreds gathered in Sarore town, which lies 20 km south of Jammu, to block the Jammu-Pathankot national highway, demanding arrests as they displayed the carcasses on the road.

Police lobbed teargas shells and caned protesters to clear the highway by 3.30 pm. “Normalcy has returned to the area and the mob has been dispersed from the spot. A constant vigil is being maintained,” said Rajinder Singh, deputy commissioner of Samba.

Inspector Rajesh Sharma, the officer in charge of the local police station, said there was no blood stains around the carcasses, indicating the animals were brought from somewhere else to vitiate the situation.

Authorities said they cut mobile internet in the districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua to prevent the circulation of inflammatory messages and pictures.