Curfew was imposed in Jammu's Samba town on Thursday evening following large scale arson by a mob protesting an alleged case of cow slaughter.
The mob set several vehicles, including a district magistrate's car, on fire, after the headless body of a cow was found in the area.
"Curfew has been imposed following violence in the area. It is probably for the first time a DM's vehicle was set on fire" said divisional commissioner Jammu Pawan Kotwal.
Reports said the protesters also blocked the Jammu-Pathankote national highway and damaged around 10 vehicles.
Authorities said no cow had been slaughtered in Samba district -- a charge that led to tensions and then violence at the first place.
This the third incident of commmunal flare-up in the area over the past three months.
On Wednesday, protest demonstrations were held after damaged copies of the Quran were found at a factory. Police later said the damaged copies came from a factory which received scrap after the Srinagar floods last year.
A youth was killed in June when police fired at protesters after posters of the Sikh separatist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale were removed by authorities.