Life was paralyzed in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday due to spontaneous shutdown observed by locals against the alleged arrests and excesses committed by Government Forces on Wednesday.All the shops and other business establishments remained shut while skeletal movement of transport was seen on the roads.According to locals, Para-military Central Reserve Police Force personnel from 182 Battalion let loose a reign of terror in the district. They said that besides thrashing women and children, the gun totted CRPF personnel caused damaged to scores of parked vehicles at Muran Chowk, Rajpora Chowk and Dangarpora area. A video showing CRPF personnel thrashing womenfolk in Dangarpora area the district has already gone viral on social media networking sites. In the 40-second video clip, the forces personnel are seen chasing a few local women and beating them several times with canes.Mushtaq Ahmad, a PDP worker, who is a family member of one of the women who was reportedly beaten by the forces, , said, “They (forces) barged into our compound when stone pelting was going on in the area.
They took my son out and started beating him. My wife pleaded them to spare my son but they started thrashing her as well.” Hundreds of people have shared this video so far.Locals also alleged that police arrested all but six students when they were on way towards the Coaching Centre. “It has become a routine for the police to arrest innocent youth while CRPF is habitual of damaging property and thrashing people,” locals told CNS. Reports said that amid shutdown, a large number of people assembled at Muran Chowk and amid pro-freedom slogans pelted stones on the deployed government forces. Witnesses said that government forces exercised maximum restraint and didn’t use force on the protesters. The clashes continued for hours in the district. Station House Officer Pulwama said that among the five detained youth three have been released and rest will also be released after counseling. (CNS)