Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 8: A youth, who was injured in security forces firing in Shopian on Sunday succumbed to injuries today taking the civilian death toll to six while seven persons were detained in connection with yesterday’s death of a tourist in stone pelting at Narbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Sufail Ahmad Bhat, 17, son of Ghulam Hassan Bhat of Dachoo village of Nagbal, Shopian succumbed to injuries at SMHS hospital here.
Thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of Sufail who was laid to rest amid sobs and tears. He had suffered bullet injuries in the abdomen in security forces’ firing near encounter site at Badigam where five civilians and as many militants including Hizb’s top commander Saddam Padder and Kashmir University’s Assistant Professor Dr Mohammad Rafi Bhat were killed on Sunday.
In the meantime, normal life remained disrupted in Kashmir valley on the third consecutive day today while in South Kashmir parts, it entered the 7th day.
Shops and business establishments remained closed in Kashmir valley while public transport was off the roads. Authorities also placed the chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest while JKLF chief Yasin Malik is lodged at Central Jail Srinagar.
All educational institutions were closed while the train services also remained suspended today. A Railway official said the decision was taken in wake of the apprehensions of law and order situation in the Valley.
Internet services remained snapped for the third consecutive day in Srinagar along with South Kashmir districts and central Kashmir’s Ganderbal.
Meanwhile, reports of clashes were received from several parts of Valley including Dachoo, Zainapora Shopian, Khudwani, Rainawari Srinagar, Kadalabal Pampore, Palpora Qaziabad, Handwara and Sever Lolab.
At Rainawari, Srinagar, a 10-year-old boy Gowhar Ahmad son of Bashir Ahmad of Rainwari was injured in pellet firing.
And police today detained seven persons for questioning in connection with the stone pelting in Narbal in which a tourist from Chennai was killed and a girl from Handwara was injured yesterday.
Seven persons were detained for questioning and their role with regard to stone pelting incident is being investigated. A tourist R Thirumani, 22, son of Rajwali of Chennai was killed and a girl Sabreena, 19, from Handwara was injured yesterday in stone pelting at Narbal.
Police carried out separate raids and arrested three persons. More arrests are expected in this connection and the investigations are being carried out on the fast track basis.
Police had already filed an FIR Number 57/2018 u/s 148, 247, 307, 336 RPC in Police Station Magam and launched the investigations.
Police said that today there was normal movement of tourists towards Gulmarg. “It was perhaps the unfortunate incident and isolated one wherein some miscreants pelt stones on all vehicles including tourists and local vehicles,” he said, adding it was not that the particular tourists were attacked but all vehicles which passed through the area.
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