PDP leader fires at trucker; others burn down his restaurant

Police have arrested a senior PDP leader for allegedly firing and injuring a trucker, and have apprehended two other truck drivers for setting his restaurant afire on Jammu Srinagar highway at Samroli, 110 km from here, police said today.
 
There was an altercation between PDP Udhampur district president Sukhdev Sharma, who runs a restaurant on the national highway and trucker Mohmmad Aijaz over the parking of his vehicle at Samroli area in Chenani tehsil of Udhampur district last night, they said.
 
In a fit of rage, Sharma fired at Aijaz from his pistol injuring him as the bullet pierced his back, they said adding that he was shifted to hospital by other truckers.
 
Irate truck drivers allegedly beat up Sharma and later ransacked the restaurant, they said, adding that four of them-- Barkat Ali, Mohammad Rafiq, Salim and Raza -- later set afire the restaurant, which also led to two LPG cylinder blasts.
 
The restaurant was completely gutted, they said.
 
Police later arrested Sharma and also Barkat and Rafiq, while the other two escaped.
 
A case has been registered in this connection.