Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 8: Normal life remained disrupted in Kashmir valley today due to curfew like restrictions in parts of Srinagar and shutdown against the killing of a youth last evening in Zainkote area of Srinagar. Clashes broke out between stone throwing youth and police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at several places in Valley in which around 30 persons including 10 policemen were injured.
Authorities today imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar city after death of a youth, Gowhar Nazir Dar, 22, who was hit by a tear gas shell fired by security forces last evening at Zainkote area in Srinagar during protests.
The restrictions were imposed in areas falling under eight police stations in Srinagar city to maintain law and order as separatist leaders called for a shutdown in Kashmir valley against Dar’s killing. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik had appealed for a shutdown.
Restrictions were imposed in areas falling in the jurisdiction of Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj, Safakadal, Kralkhud, Maisuma and Parimpora police stations.
Separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, Nayeem Khan, Asiya Andrabi and others continued to remain under preventive detention today.
In response to a strike call against the killing of Dar, an Engineering student, all shops and business establishments were closed while public transport was off the roads in Srinagar city and other major towns. Reports of shutdown were also received from other district headquarters of the Valley.
The traffic on Srinagar-Baramulla National Highway remained disrupted today after clashes broke out between stone throwing youth and Police and CRPF. Scores of youth gathered at Mustafaabad, Zainakote, Umarabad, Hokersar and Shalteng this morning and blocked the highway.
The traffic came to halt on the highway and there was huge traffic jam near Shalteng and Hokersar as youth blocked the highway at 4 places in a stretch of three kilometers.
Police swung into action and fired tear smoke and charged batons on the stone throwing youth. However, the protesters disappeared into lanes and bylanes on either side of National Highway between Shalteng and Hokersar leading to ding dong battles for hours together. However, in between, police managed to regulate traffic on the highway amid teargas shelling. Around two dozen people including 10 policemen were injured in the clashes in this stretch of highway.
Clashes also broke out at Bandipora, Main Chowk Sopore and Palhalan in North Kashmir. At least 3 persons were injured in Bandipora and ding dong battles continued for several hours at these places.
Clashes also broke out at Batengo in Anantnag in which one person was injured. Clashes were also reported from Lal Chowk, Cheeni Chowk and Lazibal in Anantnag and police fired tear smoke shells to disperse the stone throwing protesters.
In the meantime, father of deceased youth, Nazir Ahmad Dar alleged that his son was fired at by security forces. He said that his son was not involved in any protests in the area.
Denying its direct involvement in the killing of Dar, the CRPF today said it would take ‘disciplinary action’ if magisterial probe indicts its personnel.
“A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered (by Jammu and Kashmir government) so if anybody from CRPF is found to be at fault then strict disciplinary action will be taken,” said Bhavesh Chaudhary, the CRPF spokesman here.
He said that the men from 44 Battalion at Zainakote HMT didn’t fire bullets while dealing with stone-throwers who attacked their camp yesterday. “In the evening, the intensity of stone pelting increased. At about 4.30 PM, there was severe stone pelting on camp in which 3 men of 44 Battalion got injured. Youths also threw petrol bomb targeting the camp. But still CRPF was dealing with it tactfully and no force was used,” he claimed.
However, the spokesman said the crowd increased and became more violent. “Some youths even displaced the concertina coils placed at boundary of camp for security and also demolished a part of boundary wall,” he said, adding that police also reached the spot.
“The unruly mob even tried to barge in to the camp and then sensing the breach in camp security, CRPF and police jointly tried to disperse them by using mild force. But when stone pelting continued from two sides, then that party used some tear smoke to disperse the mob… As per the SOP, the CRPF used only minimum force and fired only 19 shells of tear smoke,” he further said.
Regretting the killing of boy, the CRPF spokesman raised doubts over the nature of the injury and said: “We are also not sure that the youth got such grievous injury by hit of the shell. He might got hit by the stone only. However, only experts can tell this after examining the place, direction and gravity of injury.”
He said the force has issued directions to all CRPF formations to be more careful while firing shells or rubber bullets.
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