Restrictions in Kashmir’s Pulwama, Kangan
SRINAGAR: Restrictions were imposed in Pulwama and Kangan towns of Kashmir on Saturday as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order, even as life returned to normal elsewhere in the Valley, police said.
While the curbs under Section 144 of Crpc were imposed in Pulwama town on Saturday morning to maintain law and order in view of protests in the aftermath of killing of a militant in an encounter with security forces on Friday, the restrictions continued in Kangan in Ganderbal district for the fourth day in the wake of the killing of a youth, a police official said.
Gowhar Ahmad Rather was hurt during clashes between protestors and security forces in the Kangan area on Monday and succumbed to his injuries at a hospital here a day later.
The protests broke out in many parts of the Valley in the wake of killing of 13 militants and four civilians during three separate encounters in Shopian and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir on Sunday.
Following the killings, the separatists had called for a twoday strike.
The authorities then imposed restrictions in many parts of the valley to maintain law and order.
While the restrictions from most parts of the Valley were lifted on Thursday following some improvement in the situation, protests broke out in various educational institutions which reopened after three days.
2 HELD FOR MILITANT ACTIVITIES
SRINAGAR: Two persons were arrested for their alleged involvement in ‘terror activities and terror funding’ in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said on Saturday. “In a case for involvement in terror activities and terror funding, two persons have been arrested in case FIR No. 50/2018 of Awantipora police station,” a police spokesperson said.
He identified the duo as Rafiq Ahmad Dar and Abid Majeed — both residents of the Awantipora area of the district.
Police said that the two accused are over-ground workers of Zakir Musa led Ansar Ghazwat-ul-hind in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Cash and a hand grenade was also recovered from them.
A police officer said that during routine checking, police and army jointly apprehended one OGW named Rafiq Ahmad Dar from whose possession one hand grenade was recovered.
“During questioning he confessed to be working for Zakir Musa led outfit. On his identification, another OGW named Abid Majeed alias Raja Gada was arrested from whose possession ₹5.37 lakh were recovered.
“The two confessed that the amount had been given to them by Zakir Musa to buy weapons for the outfit, the two have admitted that the amount recovered from them had been looted by the militants from two branches of the J&K Bank in December last year,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson said, six youth, who were intending to join militancy, were counselled along with their family members and subsequently handed over to their parents.