3 min readJammuUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 02:28 PM IST
Protests broke out in Jammu’s Doda district on Friday following the death of a local man, allegedly during a confrontation with the police, prompting the district administration to suspend mobile internet services in the area. While locals claimed he was an innocent auto driver, police officials alleged he was stopped at a checkpost to stop suspected cattle smuggling.
Identifying the deceased as Arif Hussain, 30, from Cheeka village in Bhaderwah sub-division, locals alleged that he was shot by a party of J&K Police’s Special Operation Group (SOG) following an altercation at Jai, a popular tourist place near Bhaderwah, on Thursday night.
His acquaintance, who tried to intervene, was allegedly beaten up by the SOG personnel, locals claimed.
Police officials, who did not wish to be identified, said the SOG personnel had laid a naka (checkpost) at Jai-Gandoh road, nearly 35 kilometres from Bhaderwah, following information about the movement of suspected bovine smugglers.
Around 11.30 pm, they claimed they intercepted two people who attacked the SOG personnel and tried to snatch an automatic weapon from one of the personnel. During the scuffle, the weapon went off, injuring Hussain, while the other person managed to escape, they claimed.
Three police personnel were injured in the attack, officials said, adding that they were rushed to the sub-district hospital at Bhaderwah and from there to the Government Medical College Hospital in Doda. The injured man was declared dead on arrival.
Story continues below this ad
As news of the death reached Bhaderwah and adjoining areas, local residents came out on the streets in protest, claiming he was an innocent auto driver.
The Anjuman-e-Islamia, Bhaderwah, gave a call for bandh, even as the police took a local resident into custody.
Sensing trouble, the administration on Friday morning suspended mobile internet services in Doda district. Senior civil and police officers were camping in Bhaderwah to monitor the situation.
Story continues below this ad
The man’s body was handed over to his family members after a post-mortem, and they took it to Bhalla, where people had gathered in large numbers in protest. His family has demanded a fair inquiry into the matter.
The situation eventually normalised in most places in the district, including Doda town, where shops and businesses remained open. Police and CRPF were deployed at vulnerable spots.
There has been no official statement from the district administration or the police on the development.