Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 8: Authorities imposed curfew in twin South Kashmir towns of Shopian and Kulgam as a precautionary measure following violence after four people were killed in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) firing at Gagran in Shopian yesterday while life remained paralysed in Kashmir in response to a strike called by separatists against the killings.
Protests erupted in Shopian and other parts of South Kashmir yesterday after four people were killed near a CRPF camp at Gagran, Shopian.
Police and para-military CRPF fired teargas shells and resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the demonstrators, who alleged that all the four deceased people were innocent civilians.
Three of the four deceased people were identified as Touseef Ahmad, Mohammad Yousuf and Tariq Ahmad.
The authorities imposed curfew restrictions since early this morning as a precautionary measure in Shopian and adjoining areas and huge deployments were made overnight to stop the protests.
Indefinite curfew has also been imposed Kulgam town since early this morning as a precautionary measure.
Residents of these towns said repeated announcements were being made that curfew has been imposed in the two towns.
Elsewhere in these districts, restrictions under Section 144 CrPC were being strictly implemented. Similar restrictions have also been imposed in Anantnag town to maintain law and order.
The call for strike was given by separatist groups including Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
Amid strict restrictions and curfew, hundreds of people including women assembled in front of Gagran CRPF camp in Shopian and raised slogans against the CRPF demanding immediate shifting of the camp.
Protestors defied curfew and did not give heed to the repeated directions from the police that town is under curfew. They sat sit-in and continuously protested against the killing of four youth.
“We are not going to end the protest till this Camp is not being removed from the area. We demand an impartial probe into the incident and police should book all the CRPF men involved in the killing of our youth,” the protesters said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar visited the spot. However, the protestors were unmoved.
The four youth were killed on Sunday at Gagran Shopian in CRPF firing. Reports said that at Baba Mohalla Shopian, youth resorted to stone pelting after the CRPF personnel restricted the movement of mourners and did not allow them to visit the house of slain youth Towseef Ahmed.
People, especially women came out on roads and resented the action of CRPF personnel. Agitated youth pelted stones on CRPF after which they resorted to aerial firing.
From Shopian, the tension spread to adjacent town of Kulgam when it was revealed that third youth identified as Tariq Ahmed Mir son of Ghulam Nabi belonged to Okey village of Kulgam.
Shutdown was observed in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal and Kangan in Central Kashmir, Baramulla, Sopore, Pattan, Kupwara, Sumbal and Bandipora towns in North Kashmir and in Pulwama, Shopian, Tral, Anantnag, Kulgam Verinag in South Kashmir.
Stone pelting incidents were also reported from Bagh-e-Mehtab, Moochu, Kralpora and other areas of Srinagar.
Amid strict restrictions, youth protested at Maisuma in Srinagar.
Police and CRPF were deployed in strength to thwart any kind of protests in and around City.
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