Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Sept 16: A protester was killed in Srinagar tonight and another who was injured in Pulwama early this month succumbed to injuries in SMHS hospital this morning while curfew and shutdown paralysed life in Kashmir and police arrested 62 people including noted human rights activist Khurram Perwaiz.
Dead body of a youth, Momin Altaf Gania son of Altaf Ahmad Gania of New Theed, was recovered from Theed area of Srinagar tonight. Reports said that Gania was missing since evening after police fired tear smoke and pellets to disperse protesters in the area.
Residents after searches found the body of Gania from an orchard. Protests broke out in the area soon after the body was recovered.
A protester from Pulwama, Basit Mukhtar, who suffered pellet injuries on September 5 during protests, today succumbed to injuries in Srinagar. He was admitted to SMHS hospital in Srinagar after he was hit by pellets and today he succumbed, taking the death toll in unrest since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander to 84.
And in a major crackdown, police today arrested 62 people including noted human rights activist and spokesman of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS), Khurram Perwaiz, on charges of fomenting trouble in Kashmir.
A police spokesman said that 62 miscreants who have been involved in the offences of damaging civilian vehicles, vandalizing of shops and also placing obstructions on roads and lanes have been arrested during last 24 hours across Kashmir.
Police last night arrested Khurram from his house in Srinagar. He was taken to Ram Munshi Bagh Police Station. On Wednesday, he was prevented from traveling to the ongoing UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva by the Immigration authorities at IGI Airport.
Authorities imposed curfew in parts of Srinagar and other major towns of Kashmir on the occasion of Friday to prevent protests. A police spokesman said that in view of the violence and stone pelting incidents on the previous Fridays, curfew was imposed in parts of Srinagar and in the towns of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla and Handwara, today.
Police and para-military forces were heavily deployed in curfew bound areas of Srinagar and other towns. They had blocked the roads with concertina wires, mobile bunkers to prevent movement of people and vehicles. In other sensitive parts of Kashmir security forces were heavily deployed to prevent any clashes.
The shops and commercial establishments, petrol pumps, schools, colleges remained closed and traffic was off the roads and train services between Banihal and Baramulla also remained suspended for 70th day today. However, there was some movement of private cars in Civil Line areas of Srinagar city.
The BSNL broadband internet and mobile phone services across Kashmir valley remained shut. Postpaid mobile phones of BSNL are working, but outgoing call facility on pre-paid phones continued to remain suspended. The Broadband services have been snapped for the second time since July 9, a day after the killing of Hizb commander Burhan Wani.
A Police spokesman said that stray incidents of stone pelting were reported from a few areas of Srinagar, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Awantipora, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora and Sopore. “At these places, miscreants assembled on the roads after Friday prayers and pelted stones on police and security force deployments. Apart from these incidents the situation remained under control”, he said.
The spokesman said that last night miscreants set ablaze Panchayat Ghar at Pinglish Tral, causing damages to the structure.
Around one dozen people were injured, two of them critically, when security forces fired at protesters in Kralpora area of Kupwara today. One of them Javed Ahmad Khan son of Mohammad Yusuf of Hari Kralpora was hit by bullet and another Mohammad Ashraf Dhobi, 23, received multiple pellet injuries. Both of them have been shifted to Srinagar for treatment.
Over a dozen protestors, including few women, were injured at Ompora in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district when security forces allegedly foiled a protest rally against the arrest of few stone pelters.
Security forces fired teargas and pellets at the protestors including women, in which at least 12 people including four women, were injured.
Protests also erupted in Hazratbal area of Srinagar after Friday prayers. People took to streets after offering congregational prayers at Dargah Hazratbal and staged protests.
Protesters pelted stones at several places on security forces in Srinagar who fired tear smoke to disperse them.
Ten protesters were injured in clashes with security forces after Friday prayers in Dooru village of Anantnag district today. The injured were shifted to District Hospital Anantnag and three of them had received pellet injuries.
Clashes erupted in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today after prayers as security forces fired teargas on protesters. A protest rally was taken out in old town Baramulla when security forces from across the Jhelum river fired teargas to foil it. Following the teargas, clashes erupted at Azad Gunj and Cement bridge in the town.
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