Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 6: At least 50 people including 20 police men were injured in clashes that broke out against yesterday’s killing of a youth in North Kashmir’s Baramulla town and people at various places defied curfew that was imposed this morning in parts of Kashmir valley.
Apprehending trouble in the wake of death of a youth, Tahir Lateef Sofi in Baramulla yesterday, and separatists call to March towards Baramulla, authorities this morning imposed curfew in parts of Kashmir valley to avoid trouble.
Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services and Sports, Taj Mohi-ud-Din today directed the District administration to hold a time bound inquiry into the killing of the youth. He also directed the release of Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin of the killed youth.
Taj Mohi-ud-Din along with Minister of State for Home, Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo, arrived in Srinagar last evening and went to Baramulla this morning to assess the situation arisen after the killing of Tahir Lateef Sofi in Army firing. They were also accompanied by the Corps Commander, 15 Corps, Lt General Om Prakash.
Taj Mohi-ud-Din asked Police, Army and other security agencies to exercise maximum restraint while dealing with the situations. He asked the Army authorities to adhere strictly to the Standard Operations Procedure (SOPs) while encountering hostile situations.
Lt General Prakash assured full cooperation from Army to the civil administration. He expressed regrets over the incident and assured that the force would be and has been a strict complier of discipline and commitment. He said Army, on its own, has also instituted a Court of Inquiry into the incident and whosoever found guilty would be brought to book.
The General Officer Commanding of Baramulla based 19 Infantry Division, Maj Gen V G Khandary, in the meantime said that Army is conducting investigations and truth about the Baramulla firing incident in which a youth was killed will come out. On Army’s statement in which it denied its role in the killing of youth, Army commander said that Army has given its version about the firing incident in Baramulla and the version will be matched with the allegations levelled against Army.
A police spokesman said here this morning: “Curfew has been imposed in Rainawari, Nowhatta, S R Gunj, Safa Kadal, Maisuma, Kralkhud and Zadibal police stations areas of Srinagar and Baramulla, Sopore, Pulwama and Kulgam towns.”
Police and para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was deployed in strength across the curfew bound areas of the Valley to maintain law and order.
A police spokesman said here that the situation remained by and large peaceful across the valley. “However, there were reports of stone pelting from some areas of Srinagar and elsewhere”, he added.
The spokesman said that 18 police men, 5 CRPF men, a stone pelter and a woman was injured in clashes at various places across Kashmir valley.
The spokesman said that miscreants pelted stones in Batamaloo, Bemina, Parimpora, Zakoora, Soura, Nowhata, Padshashi Bagh, Mehjoor Nagar and a couple of places in Srinagar city, Sangam Batapora in Anantnag, Narbal in Budgam, Cement Bridge, Khanpora in Baramulla, Rahpora Qiomoh in Kulgam and Trehgam in Kupwara. “Police exercising maximum restraint chased them away”, he added.
The spokesman said that in North Kashmir Sopore area stone pelting was reported from ChanKhan, Arampora, Hathishah and Sangrama. He said 10 police men, 5 CRPF men and a stone pelter was injured in Sopore. “The injured stone pelter was later identified as Muntazir Ahmad resident of Delina and at present Kraltang, Sopore. He has got a superficial injury on neck and is out of danger. Muntazir Ahmad is a wanted stone pelter who has been booked previously under a couple of FIRs'”, police spokesman added.
Reports said that ding dong battles in Sopore took place despite curfew. Police charged batons and fired tear smoke shells to disperse protesters.
The residents in Nowhetta and Eidgah areas of Srinagar defied curfew and came out in protest against what they said police and CRPF excesses during curfew in the area. They alleged that police and CRPF broke window panes of the houses since yesterday. However, police and CRPF fired tear smoke shells and charged batons on protesters and chased them away.
In the meantime, the doctors and para-medics of the Government Gousia Hospital in Khanyar area of Srinagar protested against the beating of doctors and their staff by police and CRPF during curfew. The hospital staff alleged that some doctors and para-medics were beaten up by police and CRPF.
Protests and clashes broke out in Padshahi Bagh, Chanpora, Natipora, Rawalpora, Rangreth, Rambagh, Magarmal Bagh, Tengpora, Batmaloo, JVC, Habbak, Lawaypora, Narbal and several other localities of Srinagar city.
Police charged batons and fire tear smoke shells during which over two dozen policemen and protesters were injured. SHO Police Station Saddar and 4 police men were injured in Padshahi Bagh during stone pelting. SHO Zadibal in the old city was also injured in the stone pelting.
Defying curfew protests broke out at several places in Baramulla town where a youth was killed in Army firing yesterday. Police fired tear smoke and charged batons and also fired pellets. Around a dozen protesters were injured and one of them 15-year-old Zakir Ahmad Lone is said to be critical as he has pellet injury and is being treated in SMHS Hospital Srinagar.
Protests also broke out in several places in Sopore’s Doabgah area where from Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru who was executed last month belonged to. They were demanding return of Afzal Guru’s mortal remains.
Protests were also reported from several areas of the frontier district of Kupwara and Bandipora during which police fired tear smoke and charged batons on the protesters to disperse them.
In South Kashmir’s Pulwama town people defied curfew and pelted stones at police and CRPF at Newa, Kakpora, Sambora, Tral and Wuyan areas. Police fired tear smoke and charged batons on the protesters to disperse them. In Wuyan area of the district a mini bus of TCI was set afire by angry protesters this evening. Earlier in the day several vehicles were targeted by the protesters in the area.
The protests have been reported from several area of Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag district against the mysterious death of a student of Pulwama in Hyderabad and against killing of a youth in army firing in Baramulla.
Elsewhere, normal life in other parts of Kashmir valley remained disrupted. Banks, business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads.
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