The nocturnal raids and subsequent detention of youth in Beerwah tehsil of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district sparked a protest and shutdown on Thursday.Protesters while demanding the immediate release of six youth resorting to stone-pelting in the town while police claimed that the arrested youth have been arrested on charges of stone-pelting.A police official told CNS that in wake of Handwara episode scores of youth here indulged in stone-pelting causing injuries to many cops. “We had registered a case against the stone-pelters. Some of them have been arrested while some are still at large,” he said.
Locals however refuted the police claim stating that arrested youth are not stone-pelters. “There was a protest in the town against the civilian killings in Handwara and Kupwara. People protested peacefully but police labeled them stone-pelters,” they said. Reports said that all the shops and business establishments remained shut in the town while protesters blocked the traffic on the road. “There will be no let up in protests till arrested youth are released,” the locals said. (CNS)