SrinagarAnger over braid-chopping attacks in Kashmir took a disturbing turn on Friday when a crowd in Sopore beat up a suspect who the police said was a mentally challenged person.
According to the police, the crowd also tried to set the suspect on fire.
Police received information that an alleged “braid- chopper” has been nabbed by locals in the Fruit Mandi area of Sopore, 52 kms from here, a police spokesman said.
“Immediately, a police party rushed to spot and found that a mob was beating one person ruthlessly. The miscreants had also burnt some grass and were trying to set the person ablaze. Some miscreants were trying to run a tractor over him,” the spokesman said.
The victim, identified as Wasim Ahmad Tantray, was rescued by the police team, he said, adding Tantray is “reportedly mentally challenged”.
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“Tantray was immediately rushed to a hospital in Sopore.
As the condition of the injured is stated to be critical, he was referred to a hospital in Srinagar,” he said.
IGP Kashmir Muneer Khan said the man who was thrashed was mentally ill. Had police not reached on time, they would have lynched him to death. Is this justifiable? he said.
A mobile phone video that was circulated on social media shows a group of men ruthlessly beating him, stripping him and attempting to set him on fire.
The spokesman said police had registered an FIR and identified those involved in the incident.
Reacting to the video, Kashmiri nitizens on social media expressed anger and resentment over the action.
Those who harm or beat anybody are worst criminals than the braid choppers and declared enemies of our society stop it , posted Nayeema Mehjoor, chairperson State Women Commission, on Facebook.
Essar Batool, another Facebook user said, …Mobs don’t have a mind but individuals do. While I understand everyone needs to remain vigilant but could we also ensure that no untoward incident happens and that we don’t resort to violence.
Rafeem ul Salam in his post said: Haywaniyat on its peak…..! RIP humanity.
Another Facebook user, Sheikh Mehraj, Humanity bleeds in Kashmir nowadays For God sake stop this now.
Meanwhile in another incident, a youth from Shopian who had come to University of Kashmir to meet his brother was beaten mercilessly on suspicion of being a braid chopper, police said. He had come to meet his brother who is studying in University of Kashmir and also had to offer Friday prayers at Hazratbal shrine. Police said the youth was caught by a group of people who took him as braid chopper near Hazratbal shrine and beat him to pulp.
A police statement said that a protest was held at Hazratbal over the alleged overnight braid chopping incident in the locality. The protestors comprising of men, women and children were sloganeering against the incidents of alleged braid chopping in the Valley in general and Dargah in particular.
The police personnel without using any force persuaded the protestors to disperse and after lot of hectic efforts the protestors were dispersed and after dispersal some persons on reaching near the banks of Dal Lake caught hold of one person (name withheld) who had come there for Fajr prayers and accused him of being a braid chopper.
The frenzied mob caught hold of him and in the meantime people from surrounding areas reached to the spot in large numbers and started beating him ruthlessly. The violent mob also tried to drown him in the waters of Dal Lake just to get his confession of being a braid chopper, police said.
They tried to lynch him but police party reached on spot and rescued the person from being lynched, police said.
Police said a case under relevant provisions of law has been registered and investigation taken up.
More than 130 braid-chopping incidents have been reported from various parts of Kashmir over the past one month but police has so far failed to make any arrest.
Special investigation teams have been set up to nab those involved in braid chopping, which has created fear psychosis among the people, especially the women folk. However police failure has led to formation of vigilante groups which have virtually taken over the role of policing in many areas.
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