Cop injured in stone pelting during anti-encroachment drive in Jammu

Jammu, Feb 4 (PTI) A policeman was injured on Saturday when a group of agitated people pelted law enforcement agencies with stones during an anti-encroachment drive here, officials said.

The incident took place in the Malik Market area along the Narwal bypass where the district administration had deployed some earthmover machines to dismantle a car showroom built on state land, they said.

The officials said as the anti-encroachment drive began, local people, including women and children, blocked the main road.

Senior police and civil officers rushed to the scene and were talking to the people to get them to disperse when stones were pelted on the earthmovers, causing injuries to a policeman and damage to the vehicles, they said.

Police used batons and fired teargas shells to disperse the protesters, the officials said, adding that the situation is tense and reinforcements have been rushed to restore order.