1 killed, another injured in Kashmir police firing on Afzal Guru supporters
Srinagar: A local youth was killed and another was wounded when police opened fire to quell a protest demonstration in Palhalan township of northwestern Baramulla district as Kashmir Valley observed a shut down on Monday to mark the second death anniversary of Muhammad Afzal Guru. Another report put the number of injured at three.
The locals said that the protesters were demanding that the mortal remains of Guru be returned so that they are offered ‘decent burial’ in his home place Kashmir. Police said that the protests had turned violent but termed the firing incident as “highly regrettable and unfortunate.” A statement issued by it in Srinagar said, “Police has taken cognisance into this highly regrettable and unfortunate incident. FIR has been registered into the matter.”
The slain youth has been identified as Farooq Ahmad Lone. Police, however, said that only one more protester sustained a bullet wound and identified him as Riyaz Ahamad Butt who is undergoing treatment in hospital. Police added, “The incident is being investigated and all concerned are being questioned to ascertain the facts.”
Earlier on Monday, hundreds of CRPF jawans and local policemen in riot gear were out in Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar to enforce a curfew to hold back protests planned by Muslim separatist parties on Guru’s anniversary.
The 2001 terror attack on Parliament convict Guru, a resident of Sopore (Kashmir) was secretly executed in Delhi’s Tihar jail on February 9, 2013. His family and Kashmiri separatists allege he was not given a fair trial.
While security forces had overnight sealed most parts of central Srinagar by laying Concertina razor wire and placing ‘bunker’ vehicles in the middle of roads to prevent protests, a shutdown was observed in rest of Kashmir Valley to commemorate Guru's hanging.
Almost all the frontline separatist leaders were detained or put under house arrest ahead of the anniversary. Police said security restrictions were imposed in Safakadal, Maharaj Gunj, Khanyar, Rainawari, Maisuma and Nowhatta police station areas “as a precautionary measure.” A police spokesperson said, “These restrictions under Section 144 CrPC are been enforced in these areas for maintaining law and order.”
Soon after detaining him from his Maisuma resident, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader, Muhammad Yasin Malik, was shifted to Srinagar’s Central prison. Other prominent separatist leaders Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan and Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai were placed under house arrest at their respective homes to prevent them from attending or organising protest rallies. Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq are camping in Delhi for the past few weeks. Independent MLA, Sheikh Abdur Rashid’s supporters held a demonstration in the Mushtaq Press Enclave area but were quickly rounded up by policemen, witnessed said.
