Islamabad/Srinagar, Aug 17: The number of victims of police and CRPF in the recent unrest reached 59 as another youth injured in South Kashmir’s Islamabad district succumbed to his injuries Tuesday morning following which a curfew was imposed in the town.
Curfew was also imposed Trehgam, Kupwara and Pulwama towns while the rest of the Valley saw a day of normalcy as per the protest programme of the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference. In Kokernag six persons sustained bullet injuries after police and CRPF fired on a pro-freedom procession.
The Mattan civilian, Muhammad Abbas Dhobi, 30, son of Muhammad Abdullah Dhobi, succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS. His relatives and eyewitnesses say he was bestially beaten up by police and CRPF during a protest demonstration on Friday.
Officials at SKIMS told Greater Kashmir that Abbas breathed his last at 6 in the morning. He had spinal cord injuries and his limbs were paralyzed.
As the word about the death spread in Mattan, thousands of people including women and children took to streets and organized massive pro-freedom demonstrations. Thousands of people then participated in the funeral procession of the deceased and later he was buried in a local graveyard.
Meanwhile, curfew was again imposed in Islamabad town after protesters hurled stones at paramilitary and police forces at Khanabal, Naibasti, Laizbal, Gulshanabad, Lal Chowk, Cheeni Chowk, Malakhnag, Reeshi Bazar, Dangerpora, Mattan Chowk, Kadipora, Janglat Mandi, Sherpora and other localities of the town.
Police and paramilitary forces resorted to aerial firing and lobbed dozens of teargas shells injuring several people. In Kokernag and its adjoining areas including Biddar, Hangalgund and Sagam curfew was imposed today following Tuesday’s violent clashes in which 20 civilians sustained injuries. However, late in the evening violent clashes erupted between the forces and protesters. The CRPF men and police lobbed tear gas canisters and also fired upon the protesters.
At Ziyarat Sharief Bidder near Kokarnag nearly a dozen persons were critically injured when CRPF men lobbed tear gas shells and fired on a procession in which protesters were marching wearing shrouds.
Six persons received bullet injuries. Of these four were said to be critical and were admitted to District Hospital Islamabad where from they were referred to Srinagar.
They were identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Dar son of Muhamad Sabir Dar of Sagam Kokarnag, Imran Shah son of late Manzoor Ahmad of Alihalan, Irfan Shah son of Ghulam Hassan of Narwa and Nisar Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Hassan of Qazigund.
Youth defied curfew in many areas of old Islamabad town and the civil lines areas of K.P road and entered into clashes with the forces, who again retaliated by tear gas shelling and firing several rounds in air. The clashes were on when reports last came in.
Police and CRPF men allegedly barged into several houses in Naibasti smashing the window panes of the houses, ransacking the house hold goods and beating up the inmates including women and children. “They also fired several tear smoke canisters and also pelted huge stones and boulders into our houses injuring many,” said the residents of Naibasti.
The CRPF men also didn’t allow the people to offer prayers in many masjids of the town and beat up many who tried to step outside for prayers.
“I pleaded before the CRPF men to allow me to go to the masjid for Zuhar prayers but they thrashed me mercilessly,” said Muhammad Ramzan Wagay, aged 70, a resident of Mattan Chowk.
Curfew also remained imposed in Tral town where 15 people were injured in the CRPF firing on Monday evening.
Late Tuesday evening, CRPF men barged into sub-district hospital Tral and after ransacking it and breaking the machinery, thrashed the patients, attendants, doctors and paramedical staff. Clashes between the forces and youth erupted late in the evening and were on when last reports came in.
Pulwama town and its neighbouring areas were placed under curfew. In Pulwama youth came out on the streets and fought pitched battles with police and CRPF who lobbed tear gas shells and fired several rounds in the air.

SRINAGAR:
In the summer capital, shops, banks, offices, schools, colleges opened in most of the areas while transport also plied normally.
People flocked market places to stock the essentials for the next days of strikes. Grocery stores, ATMs, fuel stations saw a huge rush of people.
In several localities of the city, including Boatmen Colony, Nundreshi Colony Bemina and HMT, motley groups of young boys staged protests during the day. The protesters pelted police, CRPF and RAF men with stones resulting in a shutdown in these areas. The vehicular movement was also affected in the localities.
Protests also broke out in Maisuma after rumours of fresh killings were making rounds. The protesters pelted stones on police who retailed by firing tear gas shells.
In the afternoon, massive protests again broke out in Batamaloo locality after a vehicle mowed to death a person from the locality near Bemina.
Massive protests broke out in Batamaloo against the death. Police lobbed teargas shells and fired live ammunition to disperse the protesters injuring several of them.
Witnesses said two persons were grievously injured in the police action. They were shifted to SMHS hospital.
Protests also broke out in Hazratbal, Habak and its neighbourhood for the third consecutive day today.
In Bandipora, at least 14 people were injured in the daylong clashes. People staged sit-ins and held massive protests against arrest of youths on charges of stone pelting and protests.
Protests erupted in Nowpur, Main Town, Sonarwani, Pazalpora and Kaloosa localities of Bandipora, protestors were demanding release of the detained youths.
Five persons were wounded, one of them critically, when police and paramilitary troopers resorted to indiscriminate firing and tear gas shelling in Nowpora area here early morning on Tuesday.
After the incident, more people, including women, came out on roads and staged protests in different localities including Main Town, Sonarwani, Pazalpora and Kaloosa localities. Forces again resorted to baton charge injuring a few women protesters, witnesses added.
Reports said that hundreds of people from the various areas organized pro-freedom demonstrations and marched towards the Police Station Bandipora where four youths have been detained by police from the last three days, and demanded their release.
When the protesters reached Nowpora chowk the police and CRPF intercepted the protesters. Forces first lobbed tear gas canisters to disperse the procession and later resorted to firing injuring at least three persons, one of them critically.
Locals alleged that police has severely tortured the arrested youths. The protests turned violent and spread to other localities of Bandipora during which eight persons sustained tear shell injuries who are being treated in District Hospital Bandipora.
Injured persons include Altaf Ahmed of Nowpora, Yasir Ahmed, Irshad Ahmed, Arif Ahmed and Rayees, residents of Plan Bandipora. The condition on Arif is stated to be critical. Clashes continued in the town when this report was being filed.
People, particularly in main town Bandipora, are accusing the police of making arbitrary arrests of the youth. “Police has arrested dozens of youth here, including minors and an insane person.”
The locals also accuse the police of forcing the families to send their children to police station. “Police is acting in such a way as if our children are killers. They detained the father of an arrested youth and have given third degree torture to him,” locals said.
“He is now not able to move, this is not policing but sheer harassment,” they said.
Block Medical Officer Bandipora, Bashir Ahmed Malik said, “We have received 14 injured people who are being treated in district hospital Bandipora.”
Hundreds of people today staged protests in Ajas township of Bandipora. Protestors blocked Srinagar-Bandipora road and were demanding immediate release of Abdul Ahad Jan.
At Palhalan Pattan, youth staged protests on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road yelling pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. They tried to take out a procession. However, CRPF troopers and police intercepted them and lobbed several teargas shells. Later forces opened fire upon demonstrators resulting in injuries to several people. Two of the youth who sustained bullet injuries were rushed to Srinagar hospital.
Police detained the 14 –year old nephew of JKLF founder Muhammad Maqbool Bhat last night at Trehgam Kupwara.
The family said that SOG and CRPF troopers barged into the house and broke the windowpanes, besides ransacking the household items.
They added that policemen detained Adil Manzoor Bhat, nephew of Maqbool Bhat and son of JKLF slain commander Manzoor who was killed in early nineties.
“He is studying in Srinagar and had come home two days ago,” they said, adding they also misbehaved with slain leader’s mother and sister-in-law.
Police speaks:
“A mob attacked police at Hangulgund Kokernag. The forces fired in self-defense, two persons have reportedly got injured,” a police spokesman said.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST