Adil Lateef
Srinagar, June 7: At least 24 persons including cops and students were injured as clashes broke out in parts of South Kashmir against the killing of a student yesterday during a counter-insurgency operation in Shopian district. A time-bound magisterial probe has been ordered by State Government to ascertain the circumstances that led to the killing of the student.
A large number of people today gathered at Ganawpora village of Shopian district to attend the funeral prayers of Adil Farooq Magray, a B.A.. first year student killed in firing yesterday, and staged massive protests.
Large number of people offered the funeral prayers of the student and he was laid to rest amid heavy protests. The funeral and burial however passed off peacefully.
Meanwhile, District Magistrate Shopian today ordered a time-bound enquiry into the killing. According to the order, Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Shopian has been appointed Enquiry Officer to “ascertain the circumstances” which led to death of the student. The Enquiry Officer has been asked to submit the enquiry report within 25 days.
Meanwhile, a spontaneous shutdown was observed in Shopian and Pulwama districts against the student’s killing during which students of various institutes took to streets and clashed with police. Intense clashes broke out at Pampore where secondary students including girls boycotted their classes and hit streets.
The students blocked the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and resorted to heavy stone-pelting on security forces after being intercepted by police. The police fired back tear and pepper gas canisters but students did not disperse and engaged the security personnel in pitched battle. At least 17 students and two policemen were injured in the clashes at Pampore where a shutdown was also observed against the killing at Shopian.
Scores of students at Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Awantipora came out of their classes and staged protests against the killing of Shopian student. They marched towards Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and blocked the road. The students clashed with police who fired teargas canisters in a bid to disperse them. A police spokesman with regard to clashes at Pampore and Awantipora said it exercised restraint and suffered injuries of its men.
Large number of police personnel received injuries due to heavy stone pelting by the students in Namblabal Pampore and University Road Awantipora. The situation was brought under control and the National Highway was kept through for vehicular movement. The students of Newa Higher Secondary School in Pulwama district also held similar protests and clashed with police. During clashes, three students sustained injuries.
The clashes between youth and security forces also broke out at Memandar, Kellar and Sofanaman villages of Shopian district against the killing student. Police fired teargas to disperse the stone-throwers. A spontaneous shutdown was observed in Shopian district. In Pulwama Town, three persons were injured after clashes broke out between youth and security forces against Shopian killing.
The clashes between students and police also broke out in Handwara area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district as well as in Main Town of Anantnag district. However the situation normalized shortly and no one was reported injured. Apprehending violence, the authorities directed the telecommunication companies to suspend 3G and 4G services in Kashmir. After the direction, the mobile data speed was reduced on all networks.
In the wake of violence today, the Government has announced suspension of classwork in all degree colleges and higher secondary schools of Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam districts tomorrow. The classwork shall also remain suspended in IUST Awantipora for two days from tomorrow. Meanwhile, separatists today called for a shutdown on Friday in Kashmir against the Shopian killing and asked people to hold protests.
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