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J&K: Highway ban claims first casualty; probe ordered

The incident occured on April 10, when cancer patient Abdul Qayoom Banday was on his way home from a hospital

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A week after a terminally ill patient died after his ambulance was stopped on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the CRPF has ordered a high-level probe into the incident, and has reassured people that emergency services like ambulances will be allowed to bypass the highway lockdown.

The incident occured on April 10, when cancer patient Abdul Qayoom Banday was on his way home from a hospital. However, it being a Wednesday, the highway was cordoned off for civilians, and the ambulance was stopped by security forces. The confusion and ensuing delay may have played a part in Banday succumbing to his illness.

The CRPF has now expressed its condolences, and ordered a high-level inquiry. "CRPF is deeply anguished at the sad demise of Abdul Qayoom Banday of Doda who was suffering from a terminal illness, whose ambulance, while travelling from Srinagar to Doda, was asked to halt near Lower Munda on April 10 because of the restrictions placed on civilian traffic movement," the CRPF said in a statement.

The CRPF also assured people of the Valley that instructions have been passed on to the ground, to ensure ambulances and patients are allowed easy passage. "We express sincere condolences and sympathise with the Banday family for their loss. We would like to assure the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir that strict instructions are in place to enable speedy passage to ambulances and ailing civilians. A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident," the CRPF added.

On April 3, the Jammu and Kashmir government had issued an order banning civilian traffic on the national highway between Baramulla and Udhampur twice a week — Sundays and Wednesdays — and reserved the two days exclusively for movement of security forces' convoys. The government said possibility of a terrorist attack with elections round the corner may be the reason for this.

BAN EXPLAINED

  • On April 3, the J&K govt issued an order banning civilian traffic on the national highway.
     
  • Only security forces’ convoys and emergency vehicles allowed to pass
     
  • Order in place twice a week, keeping in mind elections around the corner
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