Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Mar 5: A youth was killed in North Kashmir’s Baramulla town while 2 others were injured as security forces fired on protesters while over two dozen people including policemen were injured as protests broke out at several places across Kashmir over the mysterious death of a student in Hyderabad last week.
Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, G A Khawaja told Excelsior that he has directed for registration of an FIR against the Army for firing on protesters in which a 25-year-old youth, Tahir Latief Sofi, was killed. A Police spokesman later said that an FIR (80/2013 dated 05-03-2013) was registered against the security forces in the Police Station Baramulla against the Baramulla firing incident.
The Deputy Commissioner said that Army was not on law and order duty and as per their statement two Army vehicles came under stone pelting in Old town Baramulla in which one Army officer was hurt. “The Army fired that led to the death of the youth”, he added.
Khawaja said that inquiry into the incident will reveal the circumstances under which the Army fired on protesters that led to death of the youth.
However, Srinagar based Defence spokesman denied that the youth was killed in Army firing in Baramulla town. The spokesman said that Army fired in air when they were trapped by a mob in the township. Army has ordered internal investigations into the firing incident.
The Deputy Commissioner said that Minister of State for Home, Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo, and Minister for Medical Education, Taj Mohidin will visit Baramulla tomorrow to assess the law and order situation. They already arrived in Srinagar this evening from winter capital Jammu to monitor the situation.
As the situation in North Kashmir is tense after the killing of the youth, curfew like restrictions have been imposed in Baramulla town and Police district Sopore. The Deputy Commissioner Baramulla said that they have imposed restrictions on the movement of people in Baramulla town and Police district Sopore under Section 144 of RPC.
Sources said that the curfew like restrictions have also been imposed in old city areas of Srinagar following clashes during the day today.
According to reports, a group of youth pelted stones on an Army patrol in old town Baramulla this morning. “One of the stones hit the Army vehicle and Army personnel in retaliation damaged over a dozen of vehicles and property”, alleged the residents.
Reports said that residents came out in large numbers in protest against Army’s alleged ransacking. The Army first fired in air and later fired on the protesters killing Tahir Latif Sofi and injured two others Abbas Farooq and Farhan Fayaz, reports added.
Tahir was removed to nearby district hospital Baramulla where doctors declared him brought dead. Hundreds of protesters carrying body of Tahir marched towards Deputy Commissioner’s Office. They ransacked the compound wall and broke several vehicles parked inside the complex. However, DC Baramulla later pacified the protesters and the body was then taken to old town for burial. Thousands of people took part in his last rites.
Residents said that Tahir who was running a medical shop had done Masters in Social Work from Dehradoon recently.
Protests also broke out in Sopore town and police charged batons on the protesters and fired tear smoke shells to disperse them. Protesters also attacked the Police Station Sopore, however, police chased them away.
The Defence spokesman while giving details of the Baramulla firing incident in which the youth was killed said that a foot patrol of Army while moving from Convoy Ground Baramulla to the company operating base was attacked by an unruly and violent mob of over 250 people.
“The aggressive mob, despite repeated warnings and caution, surrounded the patrol and people from within the crowd started attacking the Army personnel. The Army patrol was soon outnumbered, leaving some of them injured. A person out of the mob assaulted the Army personnel with an iron rod creating a life threatening situation. To extricate themselves, the patrol fired, aiming in the air which could not have resulted into any injury. In any case, the place of incident where the person died was well away from the location of the patrol and could have no way been affected by the firing by the patrol in the air. This calls for detailed investigation by the Police”, the Defence spokesman added.
The spokesman further said: “Army reiterates that the death of Tariq could not have been caused due the firing by the Army personnel as extreme caution was exercised by them and the fire was deliberately aimed in the air.”
The spokesman revealed: “There were intelligence inputs with regard to the plans by the terrorists to entangle Army personnel, particularly in Baramulla, in a protest and to attack the Army taking shield of the crowd with a view to trigger large scale violence. This was aimed at providing fodder for the inimical elements to disturb the peace in Kashmir. The death of the individual seems to be a part of the said design and the Army has ordered an investigation to get to the bottom of the truth. Notwithstanding this, Army regrets the loss of life and assures the awaam that Army is always there for them and would do nothing against the security of the people. Army further appealed to the awaam not to fall prey to such nefarious designs of the inimical elements.”
In the meantime, to foil separatist march to Parigam village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama districts curfew like restrictions were imposed in Pulwama. Separatists had asked people to march to Parigam village to the residence of Mudasir Kamran Malla who died under mysterious circumstances in Hyderabad last week.
Police intercepted a group of protesters who were marching towards Pulwama in Budgam district’s Chadoora town leading to pitched battles between protesters and police.
Over a dozen persons including several police officers were injured in clashes. Those injured include SDPO Shalinder Mishra, SHO Manzoor Ahmad, Constables Waheed Ahmad and Ghulam Jeelani. Police charged batons on the protesters and fired tear smoke shells to disperse them.
Protests also broke out in Omarpora and Pakerpora in Central Kashmir district of Budgam against the mysterious death of a Kashmiri student in Hyderabad.
Scores of youth took out a protest march from Mirwaiz Manzil Rajouri Kadal in old city area of Srinagar this morning. The youth marched through Nowhetta, Malarata, Bohri Kadal, Fateh Kadal and several other areas of Srinagar city. Hundreds of protesters joined them and on reaching near Habba Kadal, police intercepted them by charging batons and firing tear smoke shells. However, Police managed to disperse the protests.
This was followed by protests and clashes in several areas of old city including Khanyar, Nowhetta, Rangar Staff and other places. Police fired tear smoke and charged batons on the protesters who pelted stones on them. Several police men and protesters were injured in the clashes and one protester is said to be critical. Half a dozen photo-journalists and vediographers were also injured in the clashes.
Protests also broke out in several areas of Kupwara and police fired tear smoke and charged batons on the protesters.
In the meantime, the life in Kashmir remained paralysed as there was spontaneous strike. The separatist although had not called for any strike but shops remained closed in several areas and traffic was off the roads.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel