BJP MLA injured in stone-pelting by protesters in Samba

Srinagar: A BJP MLA was injured when some angry persons pelted his cavalcade with stones in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district when he went to take part in the cremation of two persons, who were among four who died in an accident today.

“As the cavalcade of Samba MLA Devinder Kumar Manyal reached the cremation ground, some angry people resorted to stone-pelting,” a senior police officer said.

One of the stones hit him in the head resulting in injuries, he said.

The MLA was immediately shifted by the police and others to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital here.

He is out of danger, the officer said.

Later the MLA’s supporters came out in Samba and blocked the highway to protest the stone-pelting.

Four persons including two students were today killed and 18 others injured when a mini bus turned turtle on the Jammu- Pathankot national highway, triggering protests against “rash driving and overloading”.

The mini-bus was coming to Samba town from the border village of Chakwal and the accident took place near Rakha Ambpatti around 8.20 am, a police spokesman said.

Three persons – Prem (45) and two students Jaanu (17) and Mehak (21) died on the spot. Later, one among the 19 injured, Ramesh Chandar (55), succumbed to injuries at the GMC hospital, an official said.

—PTI