The Jammu High Court Bar Association today struck work over various issues including demanding a CBI probe into the Kathua rape-cum-murder case and deportation of Rohingya immigrants, leading to disruption of normal life across the region.


The brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old Bakerwal girl has polarised the normally peaceful town of Jammu, with the local Bar Association calling for a bandh against what it termed the "targeting of minority Dogras" while the state police had lodged a case against lawyers who allegedly tried to prevent it from filing a charge sheet against the accused.


Markets in Jammu city wore a deserted look as shops and schools remained closed while skeletal public transport was seen plying on various routes.


Majority of the private educational institutions also remained closed as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident, officials said.


The strike, which was supported by several political and civil society groups except Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries, was peaceful so far though rallies and protests were staged by lawyers and their supporters at various places in the city to ensure success of their strike call.


"So far there is no report of any untoward bandh-related incident from anywhere,' Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, Vivek Gupta told PTI.

He said police had made necessary arrangements to ensure that the bandh passes off peacefully.


The members of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (pictured) on Wednesday staged a protest here, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation-led inquiry in the Kathua rape case.

The protestors also demanded deportation of Rohingyas from Jammu.