Police use force to disperse stone-pelting mob in Srinagar

Srinagar, Jan 18 (UNI) Police lobbed teargas shells and used batons to chase away a stone-pelting mob protesting the alleged high-handedness of security forces in interior city today, official sources said.

The incident took place at Ali Masjid in Eidgah locality of interior city when the agitated residents blocked the main road, demanding removal of the CRPF picket from the area this afternoon, the sources said.

The protestors alleged that the security personnel, posted in the picket, were involved in eve-teasing under the influence of the liquor and were not allowing free movement after dusk, the sources added.

Claiming that several youths were roughed up by the personnel during the past couple of days, the protestors resorted to stone-pelting on police personnel, who rushed to the scene to persuade them to disperse.

Police initially used batons to disperse the protestors but as the baton-charge proved ineffective, they lobbed teargas shells to restore law and order, the sources said. However, none was hurt in the clashes, the sources added.