SRINAGAR: An strict curfew is in its 15th day in Shopian town of south Kashmir to prevent violence over the killing of five people by paramilitary CRPF, police said.
Late afternoon relaxations have been given over the past couple of days, they said.
On Friday, the police and paramilitaries fired pellets and lobbed tear smoke shells to disperse marchers trying to move towards the town from capital Srinagar. Senior separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who had called for the march, was put under house arrest.
Four people were killed on September 7 by the CRPF in Gagren village of Shopian. Three of them were civilians while the fourth, according to the police, was a militant of the Lashkar-e-Toiba group, Abdullah Haroon.
A government probe into the killing, ordered after many, including a congress leader, alleged that the youth was a Bihari labourer, is still on. But the Inspector General of Police, Abdul Gani Mir has said the youth was identified by another LeT militant, Fahadullah, arrested several months ago.
However still, the report of the forensic tests conducted on the mobile phone and SIM card of the youth is still not out.
The CRPF on September 11 also shot dead another civilian when he was coming out of an alley in the same area.
Mr Mir said the process of shifting the CRPF personnel from Gagren camp has begun. This was ordered by the state cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The Union Home Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde has also ordered a detailed inquiry into the killings. However separatists have dismissed the inquiries as eyewash.
Meanwhile five people have deposed before a one-man panel inquiring into the incident. District Magistrate Shopian, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, had asked the witnesses to depose before him and provide information, if any.
Although none turned turned up for the first three days since Monday, five witnesses provided information on Thursday.
However, Mr Bhat refused to divulge details.
