Violent protests over the killing of a youth in Army firing in Baramulla spread to new areas in tense Kashmir Valley on Wednesday even as curfew restrictions remained in force in parts of summer capital Srinagar and in the towns of Kulgam, Baramulla, Sopore and Trehgam. Scores including 18 local policemen and five CRPF jawans were injured, police and hospital sources said.
Meanwhile, Internet and 3G mobile services partially suspended on Monday night have been restored in the Valley.
The Army has apologised for the death of 25-year-old Tahir Rasool Sofi in its firing during a stone-throwing incident in Baramulla’s Kakar Haman locality on Tuesday. The old town of Baramulla had earlier erupted and protests were held against troops’ ransacking their homes and attacking vehicles. Lt. Gen. K.T. Parnaik, the GoC of Northern Command, had in a late (Tuesday) night statement expressed his “deep sorrow and regret over the loss of precious life” in Baramulla and offered his “heartfelt condolences” to the bereaved family and also assured a time-bound investigation into the shooting incident. Earlier, the Army had denied the youth was killed in its firing and claimed that its jawans caught in a “life threatening situation” had only fired in the air.
The Baramulla police has in a First Information Report, accused the troops, and their commander, Col Dalbinder Singh of the 46 Rashtriya Rifles, of killing the young man who was not part of the stone-throwing crowd as was claimed by witnesses. Separately, the district magistrate has ordered a magisterial enquiry into the firing incident in which another resident was injured.
On Tuesday night and during the day on Wednesday, newspaper offices here received frantic calls from several areas under curfew that security forces have damaged properties, thrashed residents and effected random arrests, mainly of youth, in their Rambo style raids, heightening tensions. The pursuit put into effect during the civil unrests between 2008 and 2010 will only exacerbate the situation, local watchers said. However, a statement issued by the police said that its men exercised “maximum restraint” while chasing the stone-pelting crowds away. It also said that the situation remained by and large peaceful across the Valley. “However, there were reports of stone pelting from some areas of Srinagar and elsewhere…miscreants pelted stones in Batamaloo, Bemina, Parimpora, Zakoora, Soura, Nowhata, Padshashi Bagh, Mehjoor Nagar and a couple of places in Srinagar city, at Sangam Batapora in Anantnag, Narbal in Budgam, Cement Bridge and Khanpora in Baramulla, Rahpora Qiomoh in Kulgam and Trehgam in Kupwara. Earlier, curfew was imposed in police station areas of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal, Zadibal, Kralkhud, Maisuma in Srinagar and in the towns of Kulgam, Baramulla, Trehgam and Sopore.
The police also said that in Sopore stone pelting incidents were reported from the locality of Chana Khun, Arampora, Hathishah and Sangrama leaving ten policemen, five CRPF jawans and a stone-pelter injured. The injured civilian Muntazir Ahmad “is a wanted stone-pelter who has been booked previously under a couple of FIRs”
Ali Mohammad Sagar, a senior minister, assured the agitating members in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, currently in its budget session in winter capital Jammu, that the government “will get justice to the bereaved family and culprits responsible for the incident would be brought to book.” He informed the government has announced an ex-gratia relief of `500,000 for the family of the deceased. Earlier, the Speaker Mubarak Gul suspended the routine business for the day to allow discussion on the firing incident and other similar incidents that have pushed the Valley on edge once again.
Mr. Sagar said, “The Baramulla incident is unfortunate. Government has already issued strict instructions to the security forces to exercise maximum restraint while dealing with the law and order situations.” Expressing solidarity with the bereaved family, he said the incident is a matter of concern for the entire House but cautioned members not to do politics over this sensitive and human issue thus playing with the sentiments of people.
While many Opposition members sought to meet the government head-on and also criticized the “trigger-happy” conduct of Army and other security forces, former Union minister and BJP leader Chaman Lal Gupta said Army should not be straight away blamed for each incident unless the matter is inquired into. He said Army’s role is to protect the borders but due to militancy it was called to tackle the situation. He, however, urged that the culprits responsible for the incidents should be booked under law.