The death toll on Day 85 touched to 91 including two policemen after one more youth from Central Kashmir succumbed to his injuries at SK Institute of Medical Sciences Soura on Saturday. The 19 years old slain youth was identified as Muzafar Ahmed Pandit son of Muhammad Ramzan a resident of Chek-Kawoosa Budgam.Family sources told news agency CNS that Muzaffar had suffered pellet injuries on 7 September during evening hours at Chek-Kawoosa when government forces had fired tear-smoke shells and pellets to break a protest march. “He was admitted in SKIMS where he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning,” said a relative of the slain youth.Reports said that thousands of people amid pro-freedom slogans participated in the last rites of the slain youth. Agitated youth blocked the road and pelted stones on the deployed troopers. A handout from police said that three motorcyclists suffered injuries when it met with an accident due to blockage of the road near Kawoosa. Police while identifying the injured as Muhammad Yousuf, Nazir Ahmed and Abdul Hamid said that a case against the miscreants have been registered and they will be arrested.
Meanwhile, life was disrupted in Kashmir for the 85th consecutive day due to shutdown though authorities said that curfew and curbs were lifted from Srinagar on Saturday.A police official said that the curbs which were imposed on the movement of people in some parts of the summer capital on Friday were lifted and there was greater movement of private cars in and around the city centre here.Authorities on Friday had imposed curfew in seven police station areas of the city in view of the occupy Lal Chowk call by the separatists, and apprehensions of violence after the Friday prayers. However, the official said restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPc were in place throughout the Valley as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.Shops, petrol pumps and other business establishments remained shut, while public transport remained off the roads. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions also continued to remain closed across the Valley.Locals from Maloora HMT alleged that police thrashed a youth in full public glare who had arrived there to donate blood at a camp that was organized at local level.“Some policemen in plain clothes jumped from a private car and pounced on a youth who was standing outside blood donation camp to donate the blood.
These policemen thrashed him in full public glare creating panic among the medical staff. After the sound beating, the policemen bundled him into the private vehicle,” the locals said adding that blood donation camp was shifted to a private school due to police scare.Police used tear-smoke shells and pellets on the protesters in Delina, Andargam and Nehalpora pattan areas of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Reports and eyewitnesses said that government forces used tear-gas shells to disperse students who were protesting peacefully against the government decision to conduct examination in November this month.At Nehalpora Pattan police fired tear-smoke shells to disperse protesters who were protesting against the arrest of an Imam. At least three girls suffered pellet injuries at Andargam Pattan when people protested against the police raid in the area. Reports said that one of the injured was shifted to SMHS Hospital Srinagar.
Meanwhile locals from Pattan town alleged that government forces have unleashed a reign of terror by resorting to random arrests in different areas of the town including Palhallan, Pattan, Singpora, Ussan, Gosgbugh and Tapper.“More than 40 youths have been arrested in nocturnal raids and majority of them have been lodged in Joint Interrogation Centre Humhama,” locals said.Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday said that curfew was not imposed in any part of Kashmir today.According to a statement issued by the Zonal Police Headquarters Kashmir through J&K Information department, the police said, “the situation across the valley remained by and large peaceful today. There was no curfew in any part of the valley.”According to the statement, “during the day no untoward incident was reported from any part of the valley.”“There was greater movement of people and vehicular traffic observed in Srinagar city as also in other parts of the valley,” it said.The statement said, “to curb the activities of trouble mongers police arrested 51 such individuals involved in various offences of creating disturbances in different part of the valley.” (CNS)