At least half-a-dozen protesters were injured in clashes with the riot police as Sopore, a politically sensitive town 48-km northwest of here, erupted on Sunday following the death of a local youth in custody of the Jammu and Kashmir police’s counter-insurgency special operations group (SOG) allegedly due to beating and torture.
Twenty six-year-old Nazim Rashid, alias Anjum, was on Saturday afternoon picked up by SOG men from his father’s provision store for questioning in connection with the recent killing by unidentified gunmen of a local labourer Muhammad Ashraf Dar but killed in custody, triggering protests by residents.
The youth’s father Abdur Rashid Shalla said the police had told him that he had been taken along by SOG men for questioning in the case of the murder of the labourer. Sopore deputy superintendent of police Ashique Hussein said Nazim was apparently involved the labourer’s killing as he was seen with the militants who shot him dead in Chanakhan locality of Sopore early during the week.
Amidst brewing tensions, the authorities placed key separatist leaders and also, for the first time, mainstream Opposition PDP president Mehbooba Mufti under house arrest to prevent them from relocating to Sopore. Chief minister Omar Abdullah, terming the youth’s killing as a “gross human right violation and inexcusable” (sic), promised that “swift and exemplary action” would be taken against the guilty policemen. He wrote on micro-blogging website Twitter, “The death of Anjum Rashid in the police custody is a gross human right violation and inexcusable. Things like this cannot be allowed to happen.” In another tweet, Mr Abdullah said, “I expect the police to do nothing less than make an example of those responsible so that nothing like this ever happens again…Swift and exemplary action. No delays, no cover ups, no excuses. That’s all I can promise and ensure. It’s not enough, of that too I’m aware.”
Soon, an official handout issued here said the area’s deputy SP (operation) has been attached while the guard commander and sentry of the SOG camp, where the youth died, have been placed under suspension. The district magistrate (Baramulla) has appointed a board of doctors and initiated proceedings under section 176 CrPC as provided under law in such cases. Those who were placed under house arrest include Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.