Tension gripped the area as people this morning found an apple orchard vandalized during night at Dohama village of Vilgam area in Handwara Tehsil here.
Reports said that unidentified miscreants felled at least 71 apple trees during the intervening night of June 13 and 14, completely vandalizing the orchard at Dohama village. A case has been registered in Police Station Vilgam and police were looking for the culprits.
Locals said the incident occurred at Dohama, some 15 kilometers from Handwara, when Abdul Ahad Tantray son of Fateh Muhammad saw his apple orchard completely axed down and apple trees lying on ground.
“The orchard is not far away from the local habitation but the miscreants, taking advantage of darkness, cut down all the fruit trees of delicious superior variety,” locals said.
“This is a very big crime and worst than murder. I can’t see apple trees which I loved like my sons lying axed,” said distraught Ahad Tantray.
“Police have seized the apple trees and prepared a map of the incident site and felled trees. An FIR has been registered in Police Station Vilgam vide No. 24/2015 under sections 436, 506 RPC and investigation is going on,” SP Handwara, Ghulam Jeelani Wani told Greater Kashmir.
“Initially, we have arrested four suspects and they are being questioned. It seems a case of some rivalry,” SP added.
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