Two persons held for issuing fake movement passes in Jammu

PTI

Jammu: Police on Tuesday arrested two persons for allegedly issuing fake movement passes in lieu of money from people entering Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The movement passes are necessary for inter-state and inter-provincial movement in Jammu and Kashmir since the outbreak of coronavirus in March.

The duo was arrested at Lakhanpur corridor along the Jammu-Pathankot highway, police officials said.

“They were accepting money for making illegal dispatch passes for persons entering the Union Territory. A number of dispatch slips were recovered from their possession,” they said.

A case under relevant sections of law was registered against them and further investigation is on, the officials said.

Meanwhile, the 592-meter cable-stayed Atal Setu bridge over the Ravi river connecting Kathua district with Punjab was opened this morning after nearly six months of closure.

“The Atal Setu bridge is now open. It shall follow the same protocol of the Lakhanpur corridor. This is the second road entry to open for the UT of J&K after the lockdown,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua, Shailendra Mishra said in a tweet.

Besides movement passes, all persons entering J&K from Punjab are subjected to COVID-19 testing and administrative quarantine till reports come negative.