Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Sept 11: A 28-year-old youth was killed and two others injured as security force personnel allegedly fired on protesters who were demanding shifting of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp whose men killed four persons last week in South Kashmir district of Shopian.
A police spokesman said here this evening: “According to initial reports Rafiq Ahmad Rather son of Ghulam Qadir Rather resident of Bun Sadpora, Shopian was brought dead to Memandar hospital. The body was shifted to district Hospital Shopian where the doctors confirmed his death. Police are looking into the incident. Two persons Manzoor Ahmad Mir son of Ghulam Hassan of Gagren and Afiya Jan daughter of Abdul Majid Mir of Mimandar, were also injured and they have been shifted to SMHS Srinagar. Case stands registered and investigation taken by Police.”
As police is silent over the circumstances that led to the killing of a man and injuries to two other persons, locals said that security forces fired on protesters leading to death of Rafiq Ahmed Rather and injury to two others.
The locals said that people were protesting against the CRPF and were demanding immediate shifting of 14 Battalion headquarters of CRPF at Gagran whose men killed 4 persons including three civilians last week.
Locals said: “Rafiq was returning home and when he reached near camp, he was fired at without any provocation resulting in his death.” Rafiq alias Rafi was a driver with a local school.
“When Rafiq was shot at we rushed to the spot and found him in a pool of blood. We shifted him to Vehil hospital where doctors declared him brought dead,” said an eyewitness.
As the news spread in the area, hundreds of people took part in a procession carrying his body from village Gagran to Memindar. They were protesting against his killing.
Aliya Jan daughter of Abdullah Mir, resident of Gagran who sustained pellet injuries was referred in a critical condition to SMHS hospital.
Locals said that 10 persons were injured in the security force action against the protesters. They include Muhammad Umar Mir son of Nazir Ahmad Mir resident of Gagran, Nazir Ahmad Lone son of Ali Mohammad Lone, resident of Aliyalpora and Ghulam Mohammad, resident of Gagran.
Protests have been reported from several areas of Shopian after the killing of Rafiq. Police charged batons on the protesters and fired tear smoke to disperse them. Additional forces have been deployed to prevent further protests.
Earlier in the day, curfew restrictions in South Kashmir towns of Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam were lifted this morning following improvement in the overall situation.
However, restrictions under Section 144 CrPC remained in force in Kulgam, where reports of protests and stone pelting were received yesterday.
Curfew was imposed in Shopian and Kulgam towns and their adjoining areas on September 8 morning following massive protests after the death of four persons, in CRPF firing outside Gagran camp on Saturday.
Police confirmed that three of the deceased were having no previous militant links while the fourth was a foreign militant of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT).
Yesterday, the curfew restrictions were extended to Pulwama town following a ‘Shopian Challo’ call given by Hurriyat Conference (G) on the fourth day of deceased persons.
Condemning the fresh killing in Shopian, Hurriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani called for complete shutdown on Thursday and peaceful post-Friday protests.
Police today detained the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti at Pulwama and sent her back to Srinagar to prevent her from going to Shopian to express solidarity with the families of the youth, who were killed in CRPF firing on Saturday.
Mehbooba was not allowed to proceed beyond Pulwama and was detained and sent back to Srinagar.
While addressing a press conference in Srinagar after she was prevented from visiting Shopian, Mehbooba blamed the Government for “victimizing” youth in Kashmir to create disgruntlement among them so they boycott elections paving way for National Conference (NC) to rig elections.
While addressing a press conference in Srinagar the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said: “Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is deliberately victimizing the youth so that they lose faith in elections. Such an atmosphere is created in rural areas and towns by targeting youth to marginalize them.”
The PDP president said the Government is using these methods across the Valley. “This time South Kashmir is being targeted, with an aim that people feel disgruntled and youth resort to stone pelting. When Omar came to power, young people had pinned their hopes on him. But, in the last five years of his rule, 99 percent of people who were killed by security forces were innocent youth,” she said.
The opposition leader said youth have become targets. “When security forces see the young people, they (security forces) lose their balance and target them.”
Mehbooba, though, didn’t condemn the civilian killings in Shopian, saying “we are tired of condemning.
Serving an ultimatum of two days, she said police have not filed an FIR against CRPF and demanded that Government must lodge FIR within two days.
Mehbooba said if police gave clean chit to three among the four killed, why they are not registering a case. “The Government should have lodged an FIR against CRPF to pacify the angry people in Shopian and Kulgam districts.”
Reiterating the demand of Shopian residents who are demanding shifting of Gagran CRPF camp, Mehbooba said since the government had failed to address even basic issues so demanding the removal of CRPF camp is asking too much from them.
“I appeal to Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to shift the CRPF camp in Gagran to some other place. It is high time that the Central Government shift the camp to some other place because it poses a threat to girls as it is located adjacent to a college.”
Mehbooba also criticized the Government for stopping her from going to Shopian. “First they were arresting separatist leaders. Now they are trying it on us.”
She said Government was responsible for communal violence in Jammu and Kashmir. “They are spreading the communal fire to divert the attention of people from killings.”
PDP president also condemned the killing of another youth by CRPF in Gagran on Wednesday. According to reports, Muhammad Rafi Rather was walking in an alley when paramilitary forces shot him dead.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel