• Separatists barred from visiting Zahid’s house
• Geelani detained; Mirwaiz, Shah, others under house arrest
• Tanker driver critically injured after being hit by stone at Charsoo
• Bijbehara 1993 massacre commemorated amid curbs
The curfew-like restrictions continued to prevail in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district to prevent people from taking to roads and staging anti-government demonstrations against killing of 18-year-old trucker Zahid Rasool Bhat in petrol bomb attack in Udhampur while authorities barred separatist leaders from visiting slain trucker’s residence by either detaining them or placing them under house arrest.Amid curfew like restrictions, Bijbehara town commemorated the 22nd anniversary of the infamous Bijbehara massacre.
“Stricter restrictions remained in force in Anantnag district today,” a senior police official from Anantnag district told.
The police and paramilitary personnel armed with anti-riot gears were deployed in strength in all sensitive areas of the district to prevent youth from taking to roads against protest against killing of Zahid in October 9 petrol bomb attack by a Hindu mob on Srinagar-Jammu highway in Udhampur.
The restrictions are in force in most parts of Anantnag district since Sunday, when Zahid Bhat succumbed to burn injuries in a Delhi hospital, where he was undergoing treatment since October 9.
The curfew-like restrictions were imposed today after a 25 year old youth Naseer Ahmad Dar of Zirpor had sustained critical injuries in Bijbehara yesterday.
The youth, who was hit by a tear gas shell, is undergoing treatment at SKIMS Soura and doctors have termed his condition out of danger and said he is responding very well to the treatment.
A police officer said no incident of violence was reported from the district today.
He said the restrictions might also be enforced tomorrow also in wake of a protest called by Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani.
A police spokesman said a young man was injured in stone pelting at Charsoo, Awantipora in Pulwama district yesterday and has been admitted in SKIMS Soura, Srinagar in critical condition.
“A tanker driver Javed Ahmed Sofi of Sethar Bijbehara was on his way to home with another tanker driver Manzoor Ahmed in his tanker bearing registration number JK01J-0711. On reaching Charsoo, Awantipora, a mob, which had blocked the road pelted stones on the tanker. One of the stone hit Javed on the forehead,” he said.
The spokesman said Javed was badly injured and rushed to SMHS where from he was referred to SKIMS Soura late last night for specialized treatment.
The doctors at SKIMS had to operate him during the night.
“After the surgery, he was moved to the ICU where he continues to be on ventilator and his condition remains critical,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, police scuttled plans of the separatist leaders to visit Batengoo village in Anantnag to offer condolences with Zahid’s family.
Geelani-led Hurriyat had planned to organise a condolence meeting at Batengoo and had appealed to the people to attend it to mark the fourth day ceremony of the deceased, who succumbed to injuries sustained in the October 9 attack.
Geelani, who was under house arrest, came out from his Hyderpora residence and tried to proceed towards Batengoo to visit Zahid’s family.
Policemen, however, swung into the area and detained Geelani alongwith some of his supporters.
After being detained, Geelani and some of his supporters were shifted to police station Humhama. Later, the Hurriyat (G) chairman was shifted to his Hyderpora residence and again placed under house arrest.
Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, senior Hurriyat (G) leaders Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem Khan and other separatist leaders remained to be under house arrest.
Meanwhile, amid restrictions, people of Bijbehara town trickled in ones and twos to the martyr’s graveyard in new colony area of Bijbehara town to pay homage to 1993 Bijbehara massacre victims.
35 people were killed on October 22, 1993 when BSF men of 74 bn fired on people, who were protesting against the siege of Hazratbal shrine by forces.
25 of the deceased were students aged between 11 and 17.
Over 200 people were injured in the massacre. Many of them have been rendered handicapped.
“We hold a collective Fateha Khwani every year here but people today were not allowed to move out of their homes due to curfew,” said one of the youth.
He said he somehow sneaked out of his house and managed to reach the martyrs graveyard to offer Fateha for the deceased.
The families of the victims have received some monetary compensation from the government. However, the guilty BSF personnel are yet to be punished.
