Ritambhara arrested in Jammu

By IANS,

Jammu : The police Saturday arrested fringe Hindu leader Sadhvi Ritambhara who was to hold a public rally here, amid renewed violence over the Amarnath land row that left two people dead Friday forcing the authorities to call out the Indian Army.


Support TwoCircles

Ritambhara, a firebrand Hindu leader, was arrested on her arrival at Jammu Airport.

“She has been taken into preventive custody,” a police official told IANS.

Her presence in city could have caused more problems, the official said.

Ritambhara was to address a public meeting in Jammu Saturday afternoon.

Jammu’s Hindu population is protesting the revocation of a land transfer order that gave about 40 hectares of forest land in north Kashmir to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), which manages the Himalayan cave shrine.

The order barring Ritambhara’s entry into the city was issued by district authorities under section 144 of the CrPC that disallows assembly of four or more people.

“It was considered necessary in view of the volatile situation in Jammu, where curfew is already in force,” an official explained.

However, the official was silent on why the Government had invited former chief minister and National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti here Friday.

Their arrival had triggered violent protests in which two people were killed and many injured and several buildings were set ablaze by irate mobs.

The army staged flag march in many areas of the Jammu region.

SUPPORT TWOCIRCLES HELP SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND NON-PROFIT MEDIA. DONATE HERE