Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 28: A spontaneous shutdown was observed in Lal Chowk area of city here against the detention of separatist leaders while the Pulwama township of South Kashmir observed strike for the fourth consecutive day against the killing of a local militant.
Shops, commercial establishments and private offices were closed in Lal Chowk, Maisuma, Budhshah Chowk and adjoining areas since Monday morning against the detention of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leaders including its chief Yasin Malik. The JKLF chief and eight of his associates were sent to Central Jail on judicial custody after police charged them with attempt to murder and waging war against State, a spokesman of the party had said.
To prevent any violence in city centre, the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were deployed in strength at Maisuma, Budshah Chowk and Koker Bazar. There was, however, no incident of violence throughout the day but the situation was tense. A police official said they have rounded up nearly a dozen youth who are believed to be behind Friday’s violent protests that left Kothi Bagh SDPO, Fahad Tak, critically injured in his eye and nose. The SDPO is currently being treated at AIIMS New Delhi.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman here said the JKLF had taken out the march without any permission from the District Administration last week Friday. “It is to clarify that Mohammad Yasin Malik, along with his associates took out a procession on Friday (25-12-2015) without any prior permission from District Administration. During this un-lawful procession, Malik incited and instigated his associates with an intention to create disturbances and to disturb the normal life,” he said.
The spokesman said: “The supporters started heavy pelting on the policemen and the passing by vehicles injuring many policemen including Fahad Tak, SDPO Kothibagh who received serious injuries to his eye and a fracture in his nose.” He said the young officer aged 29 years, a direct KPS of 2011 Batch and on his first field posting, had to be air lifted to Delhi and is under treatment at AIIMS New Delhi.
He said the doctors at the hospital are not very optimistic about the regaining of vision of the affected eye despite surgeries having being performed. “For the incident, a case under FIR No 47/2015 was registered in Police Station Maisuma and Mohammad Yasin Malik along with some of his associates were taken into custody and lodged in Police Station. Under the legal process, the accused have been remanded to judicial custody and lodged in Central Jail, Srinagar,” he added.
In the meanwhile, the Southern Pulwama Town observed a shutdown for the fourth consecutive day against the killing of a local Lashkar-e-Toiba militant, Umais Ahmad in a gunbattle with security forces last week in Bandipora district of north Kashmir. Hundreds of police personnel in riot gear were deployed in all the sensitive areas of the Town to prevent violence. However, the demonstrators clashed with security forces at Rajpora Chowk in the Town and in Kakapora area.
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