Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 4: Clashes broke out at several places between protesters and police and para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel across Kashmir valley in which over two dozen people including security force personnel were injured and normal life remained disrupted in protest against the mysterious death of a Kashmiri student in Hyderabad.
Despite restrictions imposed by the district administration in Pulwama under Section 144 CrPC, thousands of people, including women and children, from different parts of the district gathered at Parigam village, to protest against what they alleged murder of Mudasir Kamran Malla, a PhD Scholar of the village in Hyderabad.
Clashes between stone throwing protesters and police and CRPF broke out at Newa and Kakpora in district Pulwama. Police charged batons and fired tear smoke shells at the protesters to disperse them. The ding dong battles continued for several hours during which around half a dozen protesters were injured.
Protests also broke Kulgam, Norabad Devsar in South Kashmir district of Kulgam. Protesters clashed with police and CRPF that led to ding dong battles during which police charged batons and fired tear smoke shells to disperse the stone throwing protesters.
As the body of Mudasir reached his native village people refused to bury it as they alleged torture marks on the body. After protests his body was taken to Primary Health Centre, Parigam where doctors examined his body. It was later buried in the local graveyard of the village.
Mudasir’s brother, Ashiq Hussain Malla, refused to accept that Mudasir has committed suicide. “It is a murder. My brother was a pious and religious person. He could not have committed suicide. There were clear torture marks on his body including his shoulders. He was tortured by Police and later hanged”, he alleged.
Elsewhere in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir, life remained disrupted in response to a strike called by separatist against the death of Mudasir.
Shops, business establishments mostly remained closed while public transport was off the roads with private vehicles plying in parts of Kashmir. The attendance in the Government offices was thin due to disruption of public transport.
Protests broke out at several places in Srinagar city against the death of Kashmir student at Hyderabad. In Hari Sing High Street, Mahraj Bazar and Sarai Bala, Rajouri Kadal, Kawdara, Saraf Kada, Nowhetta, Gojwara, Eidgah, Batmallo and Saraf Kadal areas protesters pelted stones at Police and CRPF. Police fired tear-smoke shells and charged batons at the protesters to disperse them.
Protesters also burnt tyres to disrupt any traffic movement towards the old city areas. The traffic on airport road also got disrupted as stone throwing youth appeared near Magarmal crossing and pelted stones at the passing vehicles and also targeted police and CRPF.
In Saraf Kadal area a police and CRPF injured officer were among 5 CRPF men injured when stone pelters attacked their bunker. The CRPF officer ASI Jai Singh was critically injured as he was hit by a stone in his face and was operated in SMHS Hospital. The other three injured CRPF men have been identified as Constable Mayour Singh, Constable Prithvi Raj, and Constable I Gosh. Sub-Inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police Mudasir Shafi was also injured in stone pelting.
Protests also broke out in Bandipora, Sumbal and Baramulla town in North Kashmir. Protesters pelted stones at Police and CRPF and they retaliated with baton charge and tear smoke shelling in which around half a dozen protests were injured. One of the injured Asif Gul was critically injured in Baramulla during protests.
Protests also broke out in Narbal on Srinagar-Gulmarg road in the Central Kashmir district of Budgam disrupting traffic to the tourist resort of Gulmarg. Tourist had to face difficulties in commuting to Gulmarg from Srinagar due to clashes at Narbal. Police fired tear-smoke shells to disperse the stone pelting protesters but the ding dong battles continued for several hours. However, in the afternoon the traffic was restored and police and CRPF was heavily deployed in Narbal.
A police spokesman, however, said that situation remained peaceful throughout the Kashmir valley today. “However, some minor incidents of stone pelting were reported from Safakadal, Rojouri Kadal, Nawabazar, Karanagar and a couple of places from Srinagar city”, he added.
The spokesman further said that minor incidents of stone pelting were also reported from Magma in Budgam, Khanpora in Baramulla and Poshwan in Pulwama. “Police exercised maximum restraint. There are no reports of any injury so far”, he added.
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