A 24-year-old youth drowned to death during chase by force personnel in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, taking the death toll of people killed in the ongoing unrest to 71 while government enforced tough curfew to foil separatists “Badambagh March”.
24 year old youth Shahnawaz Ahmad Khan son of Muhammad Iqbal of Daddoo village in Marhama area of Anantnag district had jumped into Jhelum after pellet firing force personnel chased him in Marhama area yesterday.
His body was fished out from the river early this morning after a night long search by the locals.
Khan was among three people, who had jumped into Jhelum, to escape from the wrath of forces in Kaipora village of Marhama.
“Two of them swam back to safety while Khan could not do so. The locals were up all night trying to fish his body and succeeded this morning,” a local sources told Rising Kashmir.
According to sources, the youth were protesting in Sangam and Marhama areas of Anantnag yesterday following a peaceful pro-freedom rally in Marhama area.
Clashes erupted in the area and youth fought pitched battles with the forces.
“A group of young men were cornered in Kaipora village, which falls between Sangam and Marhama. Forces came charging at them, firing pellets and tear smoke shells, forcing three of them to jump into the river,” sources told Rising Kashmir.
Protests continued in the area after Khan’s body was fished out.
With Khan’s death, the death toll of people killed in ongoing unrest in the Valley triggered by killing of Hizb commander Burhan on July 8 has risen to 71.
Over 8000 civilians and more than 4000 security personnel have been injured in clashes between force personnel and youth during protests in the Valley in last 50 days.
The police and paramilitary personnel enforced curfew and restrictions in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley for 50th consecutive day today.
The cops enforced tough curfew in Srinagar to foil the separatists “Badamibagh march”.
All roads leading to Army headquarters at Badamibagh, Srinagar were sealed. The police, CRPF and army had set up barricades and concertina wires on the roads to prevent movement of people towards Badamibagh.
Police also detained Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani when he attempted to defy house arrest restrictions and march towards Badamibagh, Srinagar.
He was lodged in police station Humhama and released in the evening and again placed under house arrest at his Hyderpora residence.
After Geelani’s detention, Hurriyat (G) activists staged a protest in the area and chanted pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. However, the protesters later dispersed off peacefully.
A police spokesman said curfew remained in force in Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama and Pampore towns while restrictions under section 144/CrPC remained in force in other parts of the valley.
The youth at some area in Srinagar came out on roads and staged anti-government demonstrations. Chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the protestors clashed with the force personnel, who fired tear smoke shells and resorted to heavy baton charge to disperse the youth, who pelted stones on them.
SOUTH KASHMIR
The forces ransacked venues for peaceful rallies in south Kashmir.
“Police and CRPF came this morning and went on a rampage in Bugam and Bolsoo villages. They vandalized the venue set for a rally and when people protested, the cops fired pellets and tear smoke shells,” the locals said adding 12 people were injured in the forces action.
The injured were taken to Kulgam district hospital, where from doctors referred two injured to Srinagar hospitals for specialised treatment.
According to doctors, both the injured referred to Srinagar had sustained pellet injuries in eyes.
The locals said the force personnel also ransacked many house in the area and thrashed people.
The rally was however held as per schedule despite the forces action and hundreds of people attended the rally.
In Imam-Sahib area of Shopian, police tried to foil a women’s rally organized by Dukhtarn-e-Millat by taking away the logistics including a generator set and the sound system.
The rally was, however, held as scheduled.
Another women rally was held at Nikas village of Pulwama district.
Rallies were also held in Kanji Wullar area of Shopian, Noorpora of Tral and Nowpora-Kharpora area of Kulgam district.
NORTH KASHMIR
Clashes erupted in Pattan area of Baramulla district after forces barged into some residential houses, beat up inmates and damaged the property.
The residents of Hanjiwera, Pattan said that forces barged into the houses, beat the inmates including women and children and ransacked the household items.
Soon after the incident, villagers took to roads to protest the forces highhandedness.
The police and CRPF men fired pellets and tear smoke shells and resorted to heavy baton charge to disperse the protestors, who pelted stones on them.
Dozens of people were injured in the forces action and some of them were shifted to Sub-District Hospital Magam, SDH Pattan and Primary Health Centre Sherabad Khore Pattan.
Two persons were injured when forces fired tear smoke shells and pellets to disperse the protesters at Bandipora and Watepora areas in Bandipora district.
Earlier residents in Kaloosa are of Bandipora staged protest against Army’s highhandedness.
Chanting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans, residents alleged that Army’s 27RR (Marathli) unit camped at Kaloosa barged into the village without any provocation and started vandalizing property.
They accused Army of ransacking houses and damaging property.
“After peaceful protests yesterday, army pelted stones at residential houses and vehicles. They threatened us that they will barge in our village during night and will not let anybody live peacefully if we protested again,” they said.
Late Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Sajad Hussain accompanied by SSP Bandipora visited the area and assured the protesting villagers that action will be taken against erring army men. After his assurances, people dispersed off peacefully.
The residents of Baghat, Mohalla in Sopore complained that army men barged into the houses this afternoon and harassed the people.
Locals said that army men barged into the houses, ransacked the household goods, harassed and beat the inmates and damaged the property.
They alleged that the army men pointed gun towards an elderly woman in a house. “The army men terrorised her and smashed window and glasspanes of the house in front of her”.
They alleged that the army men threatened her that they will return in the night.
A police spokesman said barring five incidents of stone pelting in Anantnag, Shopian and Bandipora, overall situation remained peaceful and under control across Kashmir.
“The stone pelting incidents were reported from Barbugh, Hillow, Kadgam in Shopian, Sangam in Anantnag and Watpora, Potshah in Bandipora,” he said.
The spokesman said some miscreants in order to disturb the situation assembled on roads and pelted stones on police and security deployments.
