Varmul/Srinagar, Aug 10: Body of a north Kashmir teenager who was allegedly arrested by police on July 28 was fished out from Ningli Nallah near Churu this evening, taking the toll of those killed in recent unrest to 52. The death triggered massive protests against police who resorted to aerial firing and teargas shelling to disperse the protests resulting in injuries to at least six persons. In downtown Srinagar, three youth were injured, one of them critically, in police and CRPF firing in the evening.
Eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir that the body of 19-year old Syed Farrukh Bukhari of Kreeri, Varmul, was found in the nallah by labourers who were digging out sand from the rivulet.
“His left hand had a cut near wrist and both the arms were tied to the back,” said an eyewitness, Abdur Rashid.
As soon as the news about Farrukh’s death spread in Churu and his home village, thousands of people came on roads demanding punishment to the killers. People kept the body on the Varmul-Srinagar Highway in Churu demanding that the culprits should be arrested. Police and CRPF resorted to aerial firing and teargas shelling in Churu to disperse the protestors resulting in injuries to six persons, reports said. Protests also broke out in Kreeri and Palhalan Pattan against the killing.
“Police had bundled Farrukh , a first year Mass Communication student in Varmul Degree College, in a Rakshak vehicle on the fateful day and since then his whereabouts were not known. We approached top police officials seeking their intervention in the case. We apprehend he might have been tortured which ultimately lead to his death. Farrukh has torture signs on his neck and several other body parts,” locals said. Police has already registered a missing report into the incident.
In Srinagar, three youth were injured when a police and CRPF party fired on them at Gojwara. “They were sitting on shop fronts in the evening. Some boys hooted at the forces, who opened fire on them injuring them grievously,” witnesses said.
They were removed to SKIMS where they were identified as Ubaid Ahmad, 18, (thigh injury), Shahid Javaid, 14, (head injury) and Showkat Ahmad, 22 (Ear injury). Doctors said all of them were stable and had firearm injuries.
Earlier in the day, protests broke out at Chanapora,Natipora and Barzulla. Protesters raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. They later dispersed peacefully.
Responding to the Hurriyat Conference (G) call of offering prayers on roads, people came out in large numbers and took out processions and joined congregational prayers on roads including at Hyderpora, Qamarwari, Batmaloo, Soura, Buchpora, Bemina and Raj Bagh.
At Hyderpora, senior Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, offered funeral prayers in-absentia of a youth, Fida Nabi of HMT, who succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.
In downtown, police and CRPF imposed curfew-like restrictions and didn’t allow any civilian movement. The situation was relatively relaxed in uptown areas.
At Bazulla, witnesses said a youth, Shakeel Ahmad Dar son of Abdul Aziz of Old Barzulla, was beaten by police and CRPF near Old Barzulla Bridge today.
“He had gone to purchase LPG and was beaten ruthlessly. He has now been shifted to a hospital,” locals said.
Curfew has been lifted in Varmul town but the residents of old town have been put under a siege.
Police and CRPF men blocked all the bridges connecting old town with the civil lines. People of old town are not allowed to move towards civil line areas.
The authorities though feel that by sealing these bridges they can prevent the clashes to spread over to the civil lines area where most of the business activity takes place and where most of the government offices are located but the residents of the old town argue that by not even allowing the patients to visit the hospital is injustice to them.
“Patients should be allowed to cross over the bridges so that they can be treated in the hospitals. In last three days several patients were not allowed to visit the hospital, even some women in labour pain were not allowed to visit the hospital, with the result they have to visit some health centers in the Rafiabad area. These things alienate the common people,” said a resident of the old town.
Senior superintendent of police Varmul said there are no restrictions for the general people who want to visit the civil lines area and if any patient wants to visit the hospital “we allow them and even sometimes provide them our own vehicles.”
“The temporary restrictions on the bridges are for the people who want to create law and order problem but not for the general public,” the SSP Varmul said.
Responding to the Hurriyat (G) call, people at Palhallan offered prayers on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road. To facilitate passage of vehicles on emergency duty the worshippers left portion of the road open. The residents of Khawajabagh too tried to offer prayers on the highway but were prevented from doing so by a large contingent of armed police. A large number of women formed part of the crowd that wanted to offer the prayers on the road in accordance with the Hurriyat (G) programme. On meeting resistance from armed police the enraged women pelted stones on police.
Reports from several other places from North Kashmir revealed that people offered prayers on roads.
People offered prayers on roads at Firdous colony Buchpora, Ompora Budgam and other areas.

KHALID GUL ADDS FROM SOUTH KASHMIR:
Sit-ins and processions marked the second day of this week’s protest calendar in South Kashmir towns even as two teenagers were critically injured in Islamabad town when paramilitary CRPF men mercilessly thrashed them inside their houses. For the second consecutive day people in many areas of South Kashmir offered prayers on the roads.
In Islamabad town restrictions were imposed in certain old town areas including Malakhnag, Cheeni Chowk and Reehi Bazar. However in many civilian areas of Khanabal-Pahalgam (K.P) road like Naibasti, Khanabal and old Qazi Bagh people carrying placards reading “Go India Go” staged peaceful sit-in protests. People in these areas also held prayers on the roads. In Moominabad and Achajipora areas of the town also people organized sit-in protests.
They were protesting against the detention of youth of the area by the police during overnight raids.
In Gulshanabad area of the town youth resorted to stone pelting on the police and CRPF men who retaliated by lobbing tear gas canisters. Locals alleged that after the incident the paramilitary CRPF men went berserk, smashed the window panes of several houses and the parked vehicles and also barged into several houses beating up the inmates including women and children.
Several people sustained injuries and two of the critically injured teenagers were hospitalized. They were identified as Amir Khurshid Najar and Faizan Hagroo, both aged 15.
“The duo was dragged out and then about a dozen CRPF men pounced upon them and lynched them,” eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir.
Later in the evening when the deployment was being withdrawn violent clashes erupted between the government forces and protesters in many areas of the old town.
Reports of sit-in protests were also received from Bijbehara town and Sangam.
In Kulgam town sit-in protests were organized at various places.
In Rampura area of Qaimoh people alleged that the Special Task Force (STF) men of JK Police barged into several houses and mercilessly beat up the inmates including women and children without any provocation.
In Shopian town people in large numbers came out and staged a huge sit-in outside the Jamia Madjid. Later a massive pro-freedom procession was carried out which marched through the streets of the town. The protesters were carrying banners and placards reading ‘Go India Go’.
In Pulwama town sit-in protests were held in many areas. People also organized a blood donation camp. Reports of sit-in and offering of prayers on the roads were also received from nearby area of Kakpora. In Khrew area of Pampore, massive sit-in protests were organized in which thousands of people participated. Sit-in was also organized in many areas of Tral.
People in large numbers assembled at Samboora in Pulwama after mid-day prayers and took out a protest procession. They blocked Srinagar-Pulwama road and raised pro-freedom slogans.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST