Truck carrying cattle set on fire in J&K’s Ramban, two dozen animals rescued

A mob set ablaze a truck carrying bovine animals allegedly without permission along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir. Police said the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.

A mob set ablaze a truck carrying bovine allegedly without permission along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

The mob freed over two dozen cattle loaded in the truck and set the vehicle ablaze following which traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained suspended for nearly two hours. (Picture for representation)

The truck, which was on way to Kashmir, was stopped by a mob on the highway at Kohbag near Ramban on Wednesday evening, a police official said, adding that the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.

The irate mob freed over two dozen cattle loaded in the truck and set the vehicle ablaze following which traffic on the highway remained suspended for nearly two hours and was restored only after hectic efforts by senior civil and police officials.

Two cases have been registered against unidentified bovine smugglers and the mob, police said, adding no arrests have been made so far.

While one FIR was lodged against the persons trying to smuggle the bovine animals, the other was registered against the mob for setting the truck on fire.

Meanwhile, police intercepted a truck and rescued 13 bovine animals which were being transported illegally at Samba district town along the Jammu-Lakhanpur highway.

The driver escaped on seeing the police party and efforts are on to nab him, the official said, adding that a case was registered in this connection.