Teenager gunned down near CRPF hqs in Srinagar
Cop, civilian killed in yet another broad daylight militant strike in Sopore

AHMED ALI FAYYAZ

SRINAGAR, Feb 5: In five days of the death of a 15-year-old student in tearsmoke shelling of Police on a group of stone pelting youth, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has allegedly gunned down another teenager after some students catcalled the paramilitaries close to the office of Additional Director General of Police of CRPF at Brain (Nishat) on Dalgate-Harwan Road. Meanwhile, separatist militants have carried out yet another broad daylight attack on a Police party in Sopore, killing a Head Constable of Thanna Mandi area of Rajouri district and a local middle-aged civilian on spot.

Informed sources told Early Times that minutes after the Friday prayers concluded at different mosques, a group of teenaged students reportedly catcalled the paramilitaries just 300 yards from CRPF’s Kashmir headquarters at Brain, in Nishat area. The vehicle carrying the paramilitaries, believed to be CRPF personnel, was on way to Shalimar area. Even as the vehicle plying on Boulevard zigzag slowed down and kept moving towards its destinations, a visibly exasperated soldier opened fire. One among the group of booing students was directly hit. He was evacuated by his colleagues and residents and rushed to SMHS Hospital for medical treatment. He was quickly referred to SKIMS for specialized treatment and rushed to Soura where doctors declared him as ‘brought dead’. He was identified as 16-year-old Zahid Farooq Shah S/o Farooq Ahmed Shah of Brain, Nishat, reportedly a class 11th student.

SSP Srinagar, Javed Riyaz Bedar, said that on a phone call from SKIMS, Police Station Nishat registered a murder case under section 302 RPC against unidentified personnel of armed forces. Residents and family members, according to him, complained that armed men in uniform had opened fire on the pedestrian students from their moving vehicle without any reason and provocation. He said that Police had immediately started an investigation and efforts were underway to identify and arrest the men responsible for opening fire and killing a young student.

SSP said it was surprising that the shootout had occurred in a peaceful neighbourhood which had neither put up any demonstration nor resorted to stone pelting on Police or armed forces like many of the capital city localities over the death of a 15-year-old student, namely Wamiq Faooq Wani of Rainawari area, in the last five days.

Reports said that hundreds of people gathered at the bereaved family and they began carrying the student’s dead body towards Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence on Gupkar Road. Police created barriers and repulsed the march of the procession with the use of baton charge and tearsmoke. Demonstrators shouting pro-Azadi and anti-India slogans demanded justice and insisted Chief Minister to explain to them as to why armed forces had gunned down an innocent youth when, according to them, there was neither any procession nor any incident of stone pelting or other form of provocation in the peaceful locality. In a clash with Police, the angry crowds tossed Kangris on about a dozen of Police personnel including an ASI.

Sources said that Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, who was winding up his review meeting with District Development Board at Anantnag, took serious notice of the “unwarranted shootout”. While returning to the winter capital of Jammu alongwith his Ministerial colleagues and senior officials in a state aircraft, Chief Minister directed Director General of Police, Mr Kuldeep Khoda, to personally remain camping in Srinagar for supervision of the Police investigation and tackling the potentially dangerous situation.

“Government has also instituted a high level enquiry to bring the facts in the matter to the fore and book the culprits. The said high level enquiry will be headed by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Mrs. Naseema Lankar and she will submit a report within seven days”, an official press release said. It added that Chief Minister had expressed his deep anguish on the killing of the young boy and said that incidents of unprovoked / innocent killings would not be tolerated. “Whosoever is involved in such killings will be brought to book and doled out exemplary punishment so that it becomes a lesson and deterrent for others as well”, it added.

Chief Minister has said the State Government was committed to zero-tolerance of human rights abuse and his Government would punish all those who violated the Human Rights. The Chief Minister has also asked the entire administration to sensitize all ranks and files in the forces deployed in the state to exercise utmost restraint and not get provoked by the elements who want to disrupt peace and harmony in the State. He said his Government would not allow disruptive elements to create law and order situation in the State but at the same time would not tolerate any kind of human rights violation.

Sources said that Chief Minister directed DGP Mr Kuldeep Khoda, Additional DG CID, K Rajindra Kumar and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Mrs Naseema Lankar, to hold three separate inquiries and submit their reports to the government within a week’s time. He made it clear to them all that Police and paramilitary forces would get all necessary support to lawfully tackle with the miscreants but no episode of over-reaction and excessive use of force would be tolerated by the government.

In view of growing tension due to another teenager civilian’s death at the hands of Police and CRPF today, authorities imposed restriction of movement under section 144 CrPC in 60% area of the capital city this evening. Reinforcement contingents were deployed in several sensitive areas in downtown Srinagar.

Kashmir valley, particularly Srinagar city, today observed near-total shutdown on the fifth consecutive day even after Hurriyat and other separatist groups had called for such a bandh only on February 2nd in protest against the killing of a young student, namely Wamiq Farooq Wani, allegedly in tearsmoke shelling of Police in Rajouri Kadal area on Sunday last. Authorities too has imposed an undeclared curfew, euphemistically called ‘restrictions under sections 144 Cr PC’ in areas falling under five Police Stations of Maharaj Gunj, Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari and Safakadal. Without an official declaration, similar restrictions were enforced in Batmaloo area.

Reports said that five or six incidents of slogan shouting and stone pelting by thin groups of demonstrators took place in downtown Srinagar and Baramulla. However, these were all of low intensity as Police and CRPF strictly enforced the prohibitory orders and began rounding up many of the youth prominently participating in stone pelting and demonstrations. Those picked up and detained from different areas of Srinagar included Principal District & Sessions Judge Kupwara, Rashid Ali Dar’s brother-in-law, Ehsan Ahmed Bhat of Rainawari. SSP Srinagar said that he would see why the 25-year-old young man had been detained by Police.

Meanwhile, informed sources in north Kashmir told Early Times that two gunmen, both carrying AK-47 rifles, emerged from Shalpora lane at main square of Sopore, close to much targeted SBI complex, and they opened heavy fire on a Police party on duty immediately after conclusion of Friday prayers at different mosques in the apple-rich township. Head Constable Irshad Ahmed Mirza (IRP 7th Ban) S/o Badar Hussain R/o Shahpur Behrot Thanamandi, Rajouri, and a local farmer, namely Ghulam Hassan Dar S/o Mohammad Subhan Dar R/o Dangarpora, Sopore, got killed.

SPO Javed Ahmed and another civilian, Nazir Ahmed War, sustained injuries.

DIG North Kashmir, Abdul Qayoom Manhas, said that dead body of the slain head constable was dispatched for Rajouri and it had crossed Jawahar Tunnel this evening. He said that according to eyewitnesses one of the militants was in black pheran and another wore a white one. Police had got some clues and a manhunt had been launched to get them both.

Witnessing a flurry of militant activity since December last, Sopore has been gripped by fear of the gun after a pause of nearly three years. Lon December 30th, militants had gunned down four CRPF personnel at Janwari Crossing on Sopore-Bandipore Road and decamped with two of their weapons in a broad daylight strike. On January 8th, militants had gunned down one Bilal Ahmed in Armpora locality for allegedly working for security forces. Later, on January 15th, militants conducted a fidayeen-type strike on Police Station Sopore, again in broad daylight, and left SP Sopore’s PSO and a civilian dead. They again managed to escape. Two of the militants last week got trapped during a Police-Army crackdown but they too managed to escape after setting their hiding place on fire.

END