SRINAGAR: Arshad Ali Shah, a cab driver from Sopore, was killed Monday afternoon as Police resorted to straight firing at an angry crowd that was demanding body of the Pakistani militant who was killed in the encounter at Krankshevan.
The police, however, said the protesters provoked direct fire after they made violent advance toward the police positions.
Quoting eyewitnesses, a CNS report said that scores of people gathered around encounter site after the army called off the operation. “The youth amid pro-freedom slogans demanded that the body of the slain militant to be handed over to them for last rites. Some youth cornered armored vehicles and resorted to heavy stone-pelting. The government forces alighted from their vehicles and confronted with the protestors. In the ensuing clashes, government forces burst tear-smoke shells to disperse the protestors who continued to pelt stones on them,” the report added.
Police sources said the number of protestors swelled and made advances toward the police and paramilitary positions, provoking “ground firing” from the police personnel. The bullet pierced through the abdomen of 30-year-old Arshad Ahmed Shah son of Abdul Aziz Shah resident of Naseem Bagh Sopore. Three others were also injured. On way to hospital Arshad succumbed to injuries while the rest are being treated in a hospital here.
Arshad, according to locals, was a cab driver. He ran a “Scorpio” share-taxi. The other injured are Waseem Beigh resident of Jamia Qadeem, Shahid Ahmed Ahangar of Naseem Bagh, Ilyas Ahmed Shala resident of Shalapora and Abid Ahmed Gojri.
CNS quoted father of one of the injured youth as saying, “Army, Police, SOG and Para-military troopers jointly resorted to ground firing. He held all the agencies responsible for the killing of Irshad Ahmed Shah.”
Doctors at Sub District Hospital Sopore said that the deceased youth had received bullet in his abdomen and he was brought dead in the hospital. Waseem has received bullet in the right side of the abdomen, Shahid had bullet injury in his left foot while another injured Ilyas Ahmed has received bullet in his shoulder. Abid Gojri is safe and sound and he has no bullet injury, the doctor said.
As the news about the death of the youth spread in the town, hundreds of people took to the roads and clashed with government forces at different places including Chankohan, Arampora, Batapora, Khanqa Mohalla, Krankshuvan and Main Chowk Sopore. Government forces burst tear-smoke shells to disperse the agitated protestors, who would fight intermittent pitched battles with the forces .
Hundreds of people attended Arshad’s funeral prayers at a local grave yard in Baba Reza Krankshuvan.
Soon after the funeral prayers, Chairman of Hurriyat Conference G Syed Ali Geelani in his telephonic address to the mourners appealed to them to observe complete shutdown in the Baramulla district on Tuesday but later he extended the call to whole Valley. He said that the incident proves “how much Indian forces are eager to spill the blood of a common Kashmiri.” Paying rich tributes the slain youth and LeT militant, Geelani said that “Kashmir will remember them as long as the world exists.”
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq too has called for the shutdown on Tuesday, while describing the death as a “gruesome murder”.
Reports said that clashes continued between government forces and protestors in Sopore till late Monday evening even as large contingents of police and Paramilitary personnel had been deployed in the town.
Meanwhile the J&K Police in its statement has said, After the completion of an operation in Baba Raza Krankshvan Sopore in which one Pakistani militant got killed; Operation parties while withdrawing from the area were pelted with stones by some miscreants. The mob swelled and attempted to set on fire a security armored vehicle. Security forces used non-lethal weapons but the situation could not be controlled. Resultantly few shots were fired in which 4 people got injured.”
“One of the injured Arshad Ahmad Shah son of Abdul Aziz Shah resident of Seer Jagir Sopore succumbed to his injuries unfortunately. Other injured people have been hospitalized and are stated to be out of danger. The incident is being enquired into and a Case has been registered in this regard.”
The ruling National Conference has expressed grief over the death. A party spokesman said the such “unfortunate incidents” cloud the “good work” done by the civilian government. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party has condemned the death of the youth while demanding speedy probe into the incident. Mehbooba Mufti, President of PDP and Parliament Member from Anantnag, said in a statement, “It is unfortunate that another innocent boy has lost his life in firing by security forces at Sopore. The culprits should be identified and brought to justice without wasting time in ordering probes, inquires and commissions that have lost their meaning under the present dispensation.” She expressed solidarity with the bereaved family of Shah and demanded special medical treatment for the four injured youths, one of them said to be critical.
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