Stone pelting in Srinagar despite restrictions
By IANSThursday, February 4, 2010
SRINAGAR - Authorities imposed strict restrictions on pedestrian and vehicular movement in Old City areas even as protests broke out in this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital and some other parts of the valley Thursday.
Following stone throwing incidents across the valley Wednesday, the administration imposed strict restrictions in the Old City.
Securitymen used road blocks and coils of razor fitted concertina wire to obstruct road crossings and intersections in the area.
It was a curfew-like situation and we were not allowed to move out of our homes even to buy essential goods, said Muhammad Jabbar, a resident of Bohri Kadal area.
Stone pelting mobs engaged police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers in uptown Maisuma, Batmaloo and Bemina areas and in Anantnag, Handwara and Baramulla towns of the state.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman of the moderate Hurriyat group, was placed under house arrest while two other moderate separatist leaders Shabir Shah and Nayeem Khan and the hardline Hurriyat group’s Firdous Shah were arrested.
The situation across the valley was peaceful today (Thursday) barring some isolated incidents of stone pelting by miscreants, said Farooq Ahmad, inspector general of police Kashmir (Zone).
Police used batons and tear smoke shells to disperse unruly mobs in Bemina, Batmaloo and Maisuma localities.
As the heavy deployments of police and CRPF were removed from Rajouri Kadal and Nowhatta areas, stone pelting mobs again took to streets in the evening. The troopers were recalled to restore order in these areas.
Trouble erupted Sunday in Srinagar city over when 13-year old schoolboy Wamiq Farooq, hit on the head by a tear smoke shell in Rajouri Kadal, died in the hospital.
Relatives of the boy said he was not part of the stone pelting mob. His classmates also said he was playing cricket and had gone to fetch the ball which had crossed into a street when he was hit by the falling tear smoke shell.
The parents of the boy have reportedly refused to accept the ex-gratia relief that the authorities offered them.
