Srinagar continues to simmer 2nd day
Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar continues to simmer in the aftermath of the killing of an 18-year-old student in police action here on Friday.
For the second day running on Sunday, irate crowds clashed with police and CRPF at about a dozen places across the city even as the undeclared curfew continued to be in force in vast downtown Srinagar areas falling under five police stations, leaving dozens injured.
Meanwhile, the police is in the dock over the alleged attempt to cover up after the killing of Class 12 student Tufail Ahmed Mattoo. It had termed the incident as “mysterious” and also claimed it could be a case of murder and that it was in the lookout of two Maruti car-borne persons who had brought the teenager to a hospital here. But the autopsy report of the slain student has reportedly confirmed that he died after being hit in the head by a teargas shell fired by the police to break up an anti India protest. The slain student was not part of the protest but returning home from a tutor’s workplace.
Though there has been no official word about the autopsy report, the police authorities, after its involvement has been proven, assured the people that an internal probe will be held and justice done.
Meanwhile, the police and the CRPF reinforcements have been fanned out in Srinagar and all major Valley towns following a call for a protest strike was issued by hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. He has also asked the people to march to the home of the slain student at Sayeda Kadal here on Monday to “share the grief of his parents”.
After stepping up security in Srinagar, the authorities have indicated that the restrictions in force in select quarters under Section 144 of the CRPC since Saturday morning will be extended to more areas if warranted.
Meanwhile, in a double whammy for the family of the minor student, kidnapped and later killed, one of his relative died on Sunday after hit by police during protests over the tragic incident. Sheel Pal, cousin of the victim boy Shalin Gupta, was hit and he fainted during the Saturday’s protests at Nai Basti in the city and was admitted to the GMC hospital, official sources said. Pal succumbed to his injuries in the hospital this morning triggering more protests.
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