Man killed as police vehicle hits him, separatist march foiled

Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 7:  Authorities today foiled the Shopian march called by separatists by imposing restrictions in parts of Srinagar and South Kashmir while a man died in Baramulla district after he was hit by a police vehicle.
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A 60-year-old old man died after a police vehicle (Rakshak) hit him in Delina area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district triggering protests.
Abdul Aziz Ahanger  was hit by the police vehicle at around 8:30 pm. He was rushed to the district hospital where he succumbed.
Residents said that a police team had gone to the area to arrest an alleged stone pelter but came under stone pelting. Police fired few rounds in air and fled from the spot. Ahanger  was knocked to death by Police Rakshak.
Police in a statement issued here said that driver has been arrested and the vehicle was seized. “Today evening at 8:30 pm one 60-year-old person Abdul Aziz Ahangar S/o Ghulam Ahmad Ahangar R/o Delina was hit by a police vehicle near Delina, Baramulla. He was taken to District Hospital Baramulla where he succumbed to his injuries,” the statement said.
Case FIR No 39  /2018 under Section 304 A was registered against Driver Constable Abdul Ahad 2757/B who was arrested, the statement said.
Authorities imposed strict restrictions in twin districts of South Kashmir including Pulwama and Shopian and all roads leading to Shopian were sealed by security forces. Barricades were erected at many places to prevent movement of people and vehicles.
Amid curfew like restrictions, people in several parts of Pulwama tried to march towards Shopian but the bids were foiled by Police and security forces.
Strict restrictions were imposed in Srinagar’s old city and Maisuma locality. Both Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq defied the house arrest to march towards Shopian but police stopped Geelani and detained Mirwaiz outside his Nigeen residence.
Protests took place at Memander, DPL, Mini Secretariat in Shopian, Nowgam Bypass, Mochow, Mehjoor Nagar, near Sopore Police Station and Papchan Bandipora in Kashmir valley.
At least a dozen persons received injuries during the clashes. Among the injured, Arsalan Basher Turray, brother of the militant Zubair Ahmad Turray suffered injuries.
A police official said that overall the situation remained peaceful in the twin districts. “There were no reports of any untoward incident from anywhere in the Valley although some stray stone pelting incidents were reported from some places,” he said.
Separatists had called for protests against killing of four civilians in Shopian and asked people to march towards Shopian on March 7 and shutdown against shifting of Kashmiri inmates from Srinagar to Jammu.
JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik along with Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri and Ghulam Mohammad Dar who were detained on Monday have shifted to Central Jail Srinagar till 10 March 2018, on a judicial remand.
On Sunday, four youths and two militants were killed in Army firing at Pahnoo village of Shopian. Army had said the men were accompanying the militants and were killed in an encounter along with them while locals said that they were not part of militants.
And students of Kashmir University (KU) today protested  against the civilian killings. Scores of students of Zakura campus took out a protest march from the hostel up to Zakura crossing. The protesters, later, dispersed peacefully.
In the meantime, the State Government today decided to suspend the class work in all the schools and degree colleges for two days. The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to avoid law and order situation in Valley.
The class work will resume in educational institutions from Saturday except in South Kashmir districts where schools will open on Monday.
The University of Kashmir has also suspended class work on March 8 and March 9. “Furthermore, all examinations scheduled to be held on March 8 and March 9 are postponed. Fresh dates for the deferred examinations shall be notified separately, later”, the PRO KU said.
Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission handout said that the examination of J&K Combined Competitive (Main) Examination scheduled to be held on March 8 (Thursday) have been postponed. The revised schedule for the aforesaid papers shall be notified separately.
The PSC has also postponed other examinations scheduled for tomorrow.

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