SrinagarWith braid chopping incidents showing no signs of let up and police still clueless people in many areas have taken upon themselves to install sense of security by forming vigilante groups.
On Tuesday more incidents were reported, one from Sopore in North Kashmir.
In Srinagar shopkeepers downed their shutters as agitated people resorted to stone-pelting after the news about braid chopping spread in Karfali Mohalla.
According to locals, unidentified braid choppers sprayed a chemical on the face of a middle aged woman; however, after not losing conscience, the suspects hit her head with a brick and chopped off her braid. The incident sparked protest and later clashes with police in the area.
Clashes also broke out at Qamarwari in the afternoon after braid of a 8th class student was chopped off. The family members of the victim, daughter of one Manzoor Ahmed, said that braid chopper sprayed pepper on the scarf of the girl and later on chopped off her braid.
The incident sparked massive protest while police responded with tear-smoke shelling to stop protests from spreading. The protesters disrupted traffic on srinagar-Baramulla road for several hours.
At Batamaloo, Sidiq Abad also a braid chopping incident was reported, creating panic in the area.
In the first incident in North Kashmirs Sopore town braid of a 30-year-old woman (name withheld) was found mysteriously chopped off in Seer Jagir village. The woman was rushed to Sub-district hospital for medical help.
On Tuesday afternoon braid of a 27-year-old woman was chopped off in Wangipora area of Sumbal in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Tuesday afternoon sparking anti-government protests.
Protests also erupted in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir on Tuesday as braids of two minor girls were found mysteriously chopped off.
Reports said that residents of Kujar area of the district took to streets to protest the braid-chopping of a ten-year-old girl last evening.
They said that the girl was hospitalised following the braid-cutting. “She was discharged from the hospital after first aid,” said a resident.
Meanwhile, a class 10 student said that unknown persons chopped off her braid after barging inside their bakery-cum-residential house in Arhama around 6am on Tuesday.
Her family members said that the girl was found unconscious with her braid chopped off.
As the news spread, the announcement was made through the public address system of a locality Masjid asking people to stage protests.
For past three weeks, Kashmir witnessed nearly 100 braid chopping incidents while police remains clueless.
This despite setting up of a helpline and announcement of reward of Rs six lakh for information leading to arrest of braid choppers.
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