Vehicle, plaza structures damaged in scuffle, stone pelting at Ban Toll Plaza

Jammu, Dec 26 (KNO): Panic gripped Ban area of Jammu’s Nagrota where a taxi driver and his relatives got engaged in a scuffle with employees of toll plaza. A private taxi and structures of plaza got damaged in stone pelting and two persons also received injuries during the incident, eye witnesses said.

According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the incident took place when a Taxi was on its way to Jammu and the driver of the taxi had heated arguments with toll plaza employees during which the situation turned ugly.

The taxi driver informed that on Saturday morning, he was on the way to Jammu when at Ban Toll Plaza, deduction from his fast-tag was made but plaza officials didn’t allow him to proceed further.

“I asked the toll plaza officials to allow me to move further but they were reluctant and they started abusing me,” the taxi driver said.

He added that, “Soon after I objected to abusing words from toll plaza employees, they started to beat me with sticks leaving me injured and they also damaged my vehicle.”

The Ban Toll plaza employees, however, said that soon after the taxi driver was asked to stop at plaza and to pay the toll, he started abusing the employees and it caused heated exchange of words with taxi driver then attacked the employees, which led to a scuffle.

“Taxi driver later called some more boys from the area who ransacked the toll plaza structures and created panic,” said employees.

Meanwhile, police said to have taken cognizance of the matter in the local police station.

Pertinent to mention here that around half a dozen incidents of scuffle, clashes have been reported from toll plazas across Jammu region including at Thandi Khui, Lakhanpur and Ban with people complaining over charges and violation of norms—(KNO)