No arrest has been made so far.
An FIR has been registered against Hindu Ekta Manch president and former state secretary of the BJP Vijay Kumar Sharma and two others in connection with an attack on the cavalcade of Jammu and Kashmir Minister Sham Lal Choudhary, the police said on Sunday.
The BJP minister’s convoy was attacked at Kootah Morh, along the Jammu-Pathankot national highway, allegedly by the relatives of the eight men, arrested by the Crime Branch of the state police in the Kathua gangrape and murder case, and their supporters on Saturday, who are seeking an investigation by the CBI into the matter. The attack came just two days before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on a petition seeking CBI inquiry into the matter on Monday.
The police told The Indian Express that three of the attackers have been identified as former sarpanch of Kootah and Hindu Ekta Manch (HEM) Kant Sharma and Raj Khajuria, besides Sharma. No arrest has been made so far.
According to sources, Choudhary was on his way to chair a meeting of the District Development Board in Kathua Saturday when the agitators blocked his convoy and showed black flags. The mob also pelted the vehicles with stones, leaving window panes of some cars damaged, and shouted slogans seeking CBI probe into the case.
The minister escaped unhurt as the police intervened and dispersed the mob within five minutes, the police said. Choudhary could not reached for comments on the attack.