Rs 10 Cr worth properties torched in Anantnag arson
Govt orders magisterial probe in 3 deaths; Curfew continues in Anantnag, Sopore

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jun 30: With Anantnag and Sopore townships reeing under curfew and ‘undeclared curfew’ being in force in half of Srinagar city, Kashmir valley today observed yet another bandh over separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s call of shutdown against ‘killing of Kashmiri boys by CRPF’. In overnight arson by an unruly mob of over 2,000 people, properties worth Rs 10 Cr have perished in Anantnag where Government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death of three youth in Police firing on Tuesday.

The mob that had gone on rampage after death of three youth in Police firing last evening at the South Kashmir district headquarters of Anantnag has destroyed public and private properties worth Rs 10 Cr in three-hour-long no-holds-barred arson. Even as official sources present at Khannabal insisted that government buildings, residential houses, shops and business establishments, Police posts, ambulances of hospitals besides 25 buses and trucks of J&K State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) valed at around Rs 10 Crore were destroyed by the arsonists, DC Anantnag, Jaipal Singh, told Early Times that estimation by Revenue and other authorities was not possible at this stage.

While lending spot confirmation to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s exclusive statement to Early Times that no damage had been caused to Shivala Mandir at Janglat Mandi, DC Anantnag asserted that the arsonists had restricted their ire to just a guard room on the premises. “They torched uniforms of Police guards who had already vacated. Fortunately, there was no attempt to cause damage to the ancient Shivala Mandir”, DC Anantnag said while contesting reports carried by certain newspapers in today’s editions. He claimed no place of worship of any community had been damaged anywhere in South Kashmir and elsewhere.

A Hurriyat spokesman warned media against calling the men rampage as rioters or arsonists. He said in a statement that burning of the public and private properties by irate mobs was a “natural reaction” after “killing of youth” by government forces.

DC Anantnag said that the authorities today ensured safe passage of over a thousand of Amarnath pilgrims, who had arrived in yesterday, to the base camps and over 1200 Yatris, who reached here from Jammu today, proceeded safely to the base camps at Pahalgam and Baltal. SP Ganderbal, Imtiyaz Hussain Mir, said that there was no need of any apprehension as the people of Kashmir were, as usual, positively receptive and hospitable to the pilgrims. He said that Police and security agencies had made all fool-poof arrangements and nobody would find it easy to harm any pilgrims or tourists.

Curfew remained strictly in force in Anantnag and Sopore towns in the Valley today. Restrictions on movement of civilian traffic were also in place without formal declaration of curfew in half of Srinagar city. Reports said that similar restrictions were in force in Kaimoh area between Anantnag and Kulgam as also in Pulwama town. Shutdown was near-total in rest of the valley, though there was not perceptible tension and youngsters in large numbers were seen playing cricket and football at public parks at many places.

Reports said that thin groups of demonstrators violated curfew and other prohibitory restrictions at 20 to 25 places in Sopore, Baramulla, Sangrama, Delina, Srinagar, Pulwama and Anantnag. Police and CRPF used tearsmoke and minor baton charge to disperse these groups. Unconfirmed reports put the number of injured in today’s clashes at 20 but officials insisted that just a couple of people had sustained minor injuries in a clash at Sangam on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Naseem Lankar, told Early Times that government had ordered a magisterial inquiry into death of three youth in Anantnag allegedly in Police and CRPF firing yesterday. She said that Additional DC Anantnag would submit his report within 15 days.

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