Rakib Altaf
SRINAGAR, July 27: Life remains disrupted for the third day in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district after a youth was killed by army, triggering protests by people demanding that the soldiers be brought to book.
Shops and businesses are closed and traffic has been hit due to a shutdown today (Friday) and a large contingement of police and paramilitaries was seen on the roads, witnesses said.
A group of youth pelted the police with stones after returning from the Friday prayers. Witnesses said the Central Reserve Police Force resorted to aerial firing and vandalised properties. The police, however, deny these reports.
“After returning from fateha of Hilal Ahmed Dar, some people started to protest, but there was no firing,” Superintendent of Police Basheer Khan said.
Hilal Ahmed Dar of Aloosa village, more than 55 km from capital srinagar, was found dead with bullets in his body at nearby Ashtengoo Naar area on Wednesday morning, police said.
Thousands of people marched in a procession with his body borne aloft chanting pro-Islamic slogans. Locals and relatives of the youth claim he was innocent and had only left home for late-night Ramadhan prayers when he was killed “in cold blood” by army soldiers.
They said Dar sported long locks of hair and a beard and could have easily been “mistaken for a militant”.
On Thursday Defence Minister, A.K. Antony ordered probe into the incident overruling the Army who had reiterated that the youth was a militant and that they killed him when he walked into an ambush and “fired at them when challenged”.
While police maintain the killing was a case of mistaken identity, the authorities are also probing into the incident to verify all the claims.
Meanwhile authorities have placed most of the senior separatist leaders under house arrest to prevent them from visiting the house of the slain youth to offer their condolences. The authorties want to take no chances amid fears that the leaders’ visit could further escalate protests.
Senior separatist leader and chairman of the hard-line faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a shutdown on Saturday.
“We appeal to people to observe a complete shutdown on July 28, Saturday to protest against the repressive attitude of the Army and also the use of brute force against protesters in Srinagar,” Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of Hurriyat (G) said.
Also Read: Huge protests over youth’s killing in North Kashmir
