Truck carrying cattle set ablaze by mob in Jammu and Kashmir; two dozen animals freed after driver abandons vehicle

Banihal: A mob set a truck carrying bovine animals ablaze which was allegedly doing so without permission along Jammu-Srinagar National highway in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. [caption id=“attachment_4618761” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. News18[/caption] The bovine-laden truck, which was on way to Kashmir, was stopped by a mob on the highway at Kohbag near Ramban on Wednesday, a police official said on Thursday, 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 the 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, the police said adding no arrests have been made so far. While one FIR was lodged against the people trying to smuggle the cattle, 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 Jammu-Lakhanpur highway. The driver escaped on seeing the police party and efforts are on to nab him, the official said adding a case was registered in this connection.