SRINAGARWith authorities unable to explain or stem mysterious braid-chopping attacks on women even after a month of the first reported incident in the Valley, protests broke out afresh at several places on Thursday after at least three women became victims during another anxious night.
Public ire has escalated against the army and the police, and pressure mounted on the government to expose the criminals responsible for adding to the Valleys mental distress.
In Hazratbal, where two such attacks have already been reported over the week, people held angry demonstrations this morning, and beat up an SPO on suspicion.
Locals said that the braid of a yet another woman had been cut in the Dhobi Mohalla on Wednesday night.
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A young man identified as Raiees Ahmad was beaten up by a group who accused him of being a braid-chopper, locals quoted by an agency report said.
The man had been roaming suspiciously in the area when caught, the locals said.
On identification, he turned out to be a resident of Shopian who was working as a Special Police Officer (SPO) in the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the report said
He was rescued by the police and taken to the Nigeen police station, it said.
Protests against the government and the police were reported from the Beeru area of the Budgam district after an overnight incident. The victim, a girl, was attacked for the second time in two weeks, local residents said.
People in the Lari-Preng area of the Gandarbal district took to the streets in protest during Wednesday night after the braid of a middle aged woman was cut by unknown attackers, reports quoting locals said.
Residents in the Shangus area of Anantnag held around half a dozen people, two of them policemen, hostage on Wednesday evening after their extremely suspicious movement sparked concern, locals said.
They were held for around one-and-a-half hours and set free only after some senior police officers reached the spot and negotiated with the villagers.
According to reports, the men had been travelling in three private cabs, one of which escaped with its passengers on board.
On being questioned separately, the captured men gave varying reasons for travelling through the area, and their vehicles carried multiple number plates, reports quoting locals said.
The locals alleged that they had been sent by the police to get acquainted with the village in order to carry out braid-cutting attacks during the night. Police however denied the allegation.
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