Youth injured as army ‘opens fire’ at stone pelters
SRINAGAR: A young man was wounded after army “opened fire” on a group of youth “pelting stones” in south Kashmir’s Shopian even as there were restrictions in parts of the Valley on the death anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Maqbool Bhat.
Police said an army party allegedly opened fire on protesters in Barthipora area of Shopian district, in which a youth, Adil Ahmad Wagay, got injured.
“We are trying to ascertain facts. The bullet has touched his leg. He is stable. Apparent provocation for opening fire was stone pelting,” said Shopian superintendent of police Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar.
Army spokesperson could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
The latest incident comes two weeks after police filed an FIR after army fired on stone pelting youths in Ganawpora village of the Shopian district, in which three men lost their lives.
SP said the situation in the district was under control, after a young woman Sabreena Jan succumbed on Saturday evening to injuries sustained during an encounter between security forces and militants on January 24 in the south Kashmir district. One of the two militants, who had died during the encounter was brother of Jan, police said.
She was battling for her life at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences.
Meanwhile, life in rest of the Valley was also affected owing to the shutdown call by separatist leaders and subsequent restrictions imposed by the authorities. Shops and business establishments were closed and traffic movement was thin.
Bhat was hanged and buried inside Delhi’s Tihar Jail on this day in 1984. To mark his 34th death anniversary, separatists – Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik – called for a shutdown in the Valley.
“Restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed in seven police station areas of Srinagar and also in Trehgam area of Kupwara in north Kashmir following the strike call. The curbs were imposed as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order,” the officer said.
Police foiled a group of separatists’ supporters attempt to march towards United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) at Srinagar’s Sonwar. The marchers were baton-charged and some of them were detained at Budshah Chowk in city centre.
The separatists had planned a march to UNMOGIP to present a memorandum to UN secretary general, demanding the return of mortal remains of Bhat and Afzal Guru, who too was hanged and buried in Tihar on February 9, 2013, after being convicted for conspiracy of attack on Parliament in 2001.