Though the district administration Baramulla suspended the class work at three educational institutions in Sopore town on Friday and Saturday, scores of students of Government Higher Secondary School Friday clashed with the police in Bomai village in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.Following the clashes in Sopore town on Thursday, the district administration Baramulla decided to suspend the class work at three educational institutions including Boys Degree College Sopore, Boys Higher Secondary school and Girls Higher Secondary School Sopore on Friday and Saturday.However, the students of Government Higher Secondary School Bomai today took to streets to protest against the alleged thrashing of students in Government Degree College Pulwama on Apr 15.The students amid pro-freedom sloganeering marched to Police post in Bomai and staged massive protests there.Police however used tear gas canisters to disperse the protesting students, triggering clashes in the area.
Meanwhile, the photojournalists covering the clashes alleged that the police abused and thrashed them thereby resulted in injuries to scores of journalists.
The injured journalists were shifted to the hospital for treatment.The Baramulla Journalists Association has also condemned the assault on journalists and demanded action against the police official involved in the act.They also threatened to protest and to boycott the functions of police in case action will not be taken in this incident.Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sopore, Harmeet Singh told KNS that there were some issues between the journalists and police officials during the student clashes. “I have called the journalists now to sort out the matter,” he said.Referring to the clashes in the area, he said that a few students clashed in Bomai area today who were dispersed off by the police.
Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was Friday observed in Shopian district against the killing of a driver ferrying soldiers returning from a daylong anti-militancy operation in the district on Thursday.All the shops, business establishments remained closed in the area while the vehicular movement was thin on the roads throughout the day.The forces had laid siege in almost 20 villages of the district.The Army chief has said that it was a “regular operation” conducted to “make sure that the situation is brought under control” in the Kashmir. “Every day we do it. There is nothing new. Today’s operation is happening because banks have been looted and police personnel have been killed,” Gen Rawat has said yesterday. The driver identified as Nazir Sheikh, son of Ahad Sheikh of Kachdoora, Shopian, died when the vehicle came under militants’ fire at Baskuchan Imamsahb at about 6pm. Three soldiers were also Injured in the attack, an army official has said.The vehicle came under attack after the soldiers were coming back from the search operation.Meanwhile, a police official said that the situation in the district remained under control and peaceful in the district throughout the day. (KNS)