Jammu, Sep 12 (IANS): Protests erupted in Kishtwar town of Jammu and Kashmir Monday over the arrest of seven people in connection with an email claiming responsibility for last week's Delhi blast. Even as police showed that all those in custody were safe, the cleric of a mosque called for a shutdown.

One of the rumours that triggered high tension and anger among residents is that one of the detained had died in police custody. People came out in protest Monday morning, and demanded they be shown all the arrested people.

Although police showed all the seven to the residents and tried to pacify them, they expressed dissatisfaction.

"They were picked up in an arbitrary manner and we feel our children are unsafe," said Imam Farooq Ahmad Kichloo, cleric of a local mosque in Kishtwar, a town 230 km northeast of Jammu, Monday.

Farooq has given a call for shutdown, which residents are observing.

The parents of schoolgoing children - two of the seven are teenagers Shariq Khawat Bhat and Abid Hussain - have told police they are apprehensive that their children might be picked up, sources said.

The seven have been arrested in connection with the email sent in the name of terror outfit Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islami (HuJI) claiming responsibility for the Delhi High Court blast Sep 7 that killed 13 people.

A police officer told IANS there are some elements trying to vitiate the atmosphere in Kishtwar and obstruct investigations into the email.