- 2 minors detained in Pulwama
- Protests, clashes against arrests in South Kashmir
- TeH activist booked under PSA in Pulwama
- Curfew in Old Srinagar areas
- 2 cops, 4 mourners injured in Budgam
- 52 ‘stone-pelters’ arrested in 24 hours: Police
At least 20 people sustained injuries in forces’ action across Kashmir while police detained two minors in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday. The police also imposed strict curbs in various old Srinagar areas to thwart pro-freedom protests. Meanwhile, Srinagar markets opened after 5 pm on the relaxation call given by Kashmir’s joint resistance leadership.
At least 10 people were injured in protests and clashes that erupted in various South Kashmir areas. Clashes erupted in Chitragam village of Shopian district after forces raided the house of a Hurriyat leader. People came on roads and started raising slogans after the raid on the house of Muhammad Yousuf Fallahi, district president of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, witnesses said. “The forces ransacked the house of Falahi,” locals alleged. Fallahi, according to police, is accused of organizing dozens of anti-India rallies in south Kashmir, which has become the epicenter of the ongoing uprising triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. Fallahi is evading arrest and was recently declared as a “proclaimed offender” by police.
Government forces used tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesters who pelted stones on them. “Six people were injured in the clashes,” they said. Soon, the clashes spread to nearby Mulu village.
Scores of men, women and children took to streets in Pulwama district against the arrest of youth during nocturnal raids. Witnesses said the protesters, chanting pro-freedom slogans, staged a protest in Rahmoo village to demand the release of youths arrested during a forces’ raid. Clashes also erupted in the area, resulting in minor injuries to a few of them. The youths—Hilal Ahmad and Bilal Ahmad—were arrested during a nocturnal raid, they said. Clashes erupted in Tahab village of Pulwama after forces arrested three people, including two minors. Reports and witnesses said people took to streets in Tahab village to protest against the arrests. They said forces resorted to teargas shelling on the protesters, triggering clashes.
Reports said a Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader from Pulwama district Manzoor Ahmad Baghat was booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and is likely to be shifted to a jail in Kathua. Reports from north Kashmir’s Kupwara district said clashes between forces and youth took place at Kralpora in which four youth sustained injuries in the forces’ action.
South Kashmir
Men, women and children took to roads at Rahmoo village of Pulwama district to protest the arrest of the youth Hilal Ahmad and Bilal Ahmad during the nocturnal raids of forces.
Chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the protesters were demanding immediate and unconditional release of the arrested youth.
Clashes erupted in Chitragam area of Shopian after forces raided the house of a Hurriyat leader this morning.
People in large numbers came on roads and raised anti-India slogans to protest police raid on the house of Mohammad Yousuf Fallahi, district president of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.
Fallahi, who has been accused by police of organizing dozens of anti-India rallies in Shopian, is evading arrest. He was recently declared as “proclaimed offender” by police.
The forces fired tear smoke canisters to disperse the protesters, who pelted stones on them. The clashes spread to nearby Mulu village. However, a heavy contingent of police and paramilitary forces dispersed the protesters.
A massive protest rally was also taken out by people in Pulwama against the arrest of a cleric Maulana Sajad Hashmi and his two brothers Shabir Ahmed and
Shahnawaz Ahmed.
Hashmi, who is a preacher at Jamia Masjid Nagabal Shopian, was along with his two brothers was arrested during a nocturnal raid at Rajpora Pulwama.
Chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the protestors were demanding release of Maulana Hashmi and his two brothers.
Meanwhile, a Hurriyat leader from Pulwama district was booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) on Thursday.
Meanwhile, reports said Tehreek-e-Hurriyat activist Manzoor Ahmad Baghat of Ruhmoo village of Pulwama district was booked under the stringent Public Safety Act on Thursday.
He is likely to be shifted to a jail in Kathua.
Baghat was arrested few days back near District Hospital Pulwama.
People took to roads at Tahab village of Pulwama to protest arrest of three people, including two minors by the force personnel.
Chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the protestors were demanding release of the arrested persons. However, the cops fired tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge to disperse them.
Srinagar
A police official said curfew remained in place in areas falling under five police stations in Srinagar. These include Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal and Maharaj Gunj. Markets opened after 5 pm on the relaxation call given by the joint resistance leadership as people flooded the streets in large numbers. Shopkeepers opened their shops at Lal Chowk and other markets while there was a huge rush of private vehicles.
Police Version
According to a statement issued by Zonal Police Headquarters Kashmir, the situation across Kashmir remained peaceful today. “There was no curfew anywhere in the valley and there was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere,” the statement said, adding that “adequate deployment was made in sensitive areas.”
“Today also some Muharram processions were taken out in Budgam and Srinagar,” it said. The statement said the roads witnessed constant increase in traffic in Srinagar city as well as in the towns across the valley. “Shops were open and a large number of vendors were on the streets,” it said.
The statement said that in the drive launched by the police to “nab the miscreants and the persons involved in disruption of normal activities, 52 more such persons were arrested, during the past 24 hours.”
2 Cops, 4 Mourners Injured In Budgam
Two cops and four mourners were injured during clashes that broke out after forces foiled a Muharram procession in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Police sources said two cops sustained severe injuries while dealing with the protesters at Nooripora village. “A cop sustained serious head injury while another received injuries in the face,” they said. Forces fired dozens of tear-gas and pava shells to disperse the mourners. “Four mourners sustained injuries in the police action,” witnesses said.
