BARAMULLA: Amid a complete shutdown, clashes erupted in this north Kashmir town on Saturday against the arrest of at least eight youth by police for their alleged role in stone pelting.
Eyewitnesses said that markets including banks and petrol pumps remained closed in the town while attendance in government offices also remained thin, due to the shutdown called by a group of youth against the arrest of at least eight boys by the police.
The eight youth arrested by police from various areas of the town have been identified as Abdul Qayoom Najar S/O Ghulam Ahmed Najar R/O Banglow Bagh Baramulla, Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh, S/O Muhammad Maqbool R/O Drangbal, Nazim Mir S/O Abdul Majeed R/O Baramulla, Adil Mir S/O Muhammad Ashraf Mir R/O Kanlibagh Baramulla, Sameer Bhat S/O Farooq Ahmed R/O Drangbal, Irshad Mir S/O Abdul Gani R/O Shajkote, Shahid Mir S/O Nazir Mir R/O Sopore and Mohammad Rafiq Dar S/O Rashid Dar R/O Budgam.
Later in the day, scores of youth took to streets in many parts of the town and clashed with the CRPF troopers and police, who were deployed in advance. The youth pelted stones on the forces leading to the outbreak of clashes. CRPF and police used teargas canisters to disperse the stone pelting youth as the clashes spread to many areas of the town. The clashes continued till late evening. However, injuries to anyone were not reported from the area.
