Baramulla death toll reaches at 4 as another youth dies toady

10 cops, 2 CRPF among dozens injured in fresh clashes, ambulance torched

Baramulla, July 01: With another young collage succumbing to his injuries sustained in firing by police and paramilitary CRPF in old town Baramulla, the death toll in the escalating violence in Baramulla town of north Kashmir rose to four Wednesday.

After, Fayaz Ahmad Gojri, 17, of Khanpora was also shot dead by a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper while ‘security forces’ were trying to control the stone pelting protesters Tuesday evening near Devibal Mandir which was followed by massive protests and clashes till late night.

In the wake of this incident, the state government late Tuesday decided to withdraw the CRPF from law and order duties in Baramulla town.
"The CRPF has been withdrawn from the town and it is being replaced by the local armed police that maintained law order in the town," said a senior police officer.

"Police have registered a case of murder against the CRPF trooper. Officers of the CRPF unit have been asked to hand him over to the police," said a senior police officer who himself monitored the law and order situation.

Tension again flared up in the old town areas of Baramulla when the body of the youth, Amir Rahid Bhat son Abdul Rashid Baht of Twaheed, 24, lone brother of four sisters, reached Baramulla for burial, which was attended by thousands of mourners.

According to family inmates, Amir left for college in the morning and received bullet at Cement Bridge and had nothing to do with stone pelting.

“We will continue our protest and those elements who try to highjack the situation won’t be spared,” reiterated thousands of mourners who attended the funeral in Eidgah.

“All out youth were killed in unprovoked firing by CRPF and police as they (troopers) fired indiscriminately,” said a mourner whishing not to be named.

After burial, thousands of people defied curfew took to streets and shouted anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. The protesting mobs turned angry and clashed with police personnel at TRC, Cement and Pantoon Bridge and Khanopora Baramulla by showering stones on police.

Sources said a women and two cops were injured in fresh cashes as police fired dozens of tear-smoke shells to disperse the angry protestors.

Eyewitness, Zahoor Ahmed Peer, whose wife sustained head injuries when a tear –smoke shell hit her head, said, “ We were outside our house when police fired dozens of teargas shells on mourners and my wife Anjum got injured.”

“She is in state of shock and not able to speak. Doctors of district hospital Baramulla referred injured Anjum to Srinagar,” said Zahoor while coming out of district hospital Baramulla.

“We maintain utmost restrain but despite curfew youth came out of their home and pelt stones to worsen law and order situation,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Sheikh Fasil Ahmed who himself was on job.

The two youth, Mohammad Saleem Wani son of Abdur Rashid Wani of Syed Karim Baramulla left his little brother and sister behind as their parents had already passed away and poor Tariq Ahmad Malik son of Saifudin Malik of Drangbal Baramulla. The duo was killed in police firing when police fired bullets and teargas shells to disperse thousands protesting people on Tuesday.

Sources said in the afternoon agitating people set ablaze an army ambulance of 130 MES at Palhan Pattan

Meanwhile, three cops and two CRPF personal were among ten injured in Sopore hundreds of protestors deified curfew and clashed with police and CRPF.

The government has already ordered a magisterial probe into the firing incident. The investigations would be completed within 10 days.

Authorities have also announced ex-gratia relief and government jobs for the next of kin of those killed.

The protests in Baramulla had begun following allegations by a local woman that she had been abused by a police officer inside a police station.

Meanwhile, normal life across the valley continued to be at a standstill for the second consecutive day because of the three-day shutdown call given by the hardline separatist Hurriyat group headed by Syed Ali Geelani to protest the rape and murder of two women in Shopian as well as the killing of youth in Baramulla town.

Public transport remained off the roads, and educational institutions, markets and banks remained shut in the state's summer capital Srinagar and other major towns and cities of the valley. (NAK)