Varmul/Srinagar, Feb 22: A 10-day-old new-born died when his mother was caught in the clashes between policemen and angry youth in north Kashmir’s Varmul district on Monday, while as life in city centre Lal Chowk and Maisuma remained disrupted as youth engaged police and paramilitary CRPF troopers in pitched battles and enforced a shutdown.
VARMUL
 Witnesses said the child, Irfan Ahmad, and his mother were caught in clashes near Chakloo, Varmul. “The mother panicked and the newly born slipped from her lap and he died after hitting the ground,” they added.
 Immediately after the incident, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, north Kashmir A Q Manhas addressed a news conference claiming: “Nissar Ahmed Magray and his wife Kulsooma of Rawoocha Dangiwcha were carrying their two sons 4-year old Ubaid and 10- day old baby Irfan for treatment to district hospital Varmul. The protesters who were moving in two sumos attacked the matador at Chakloo and dragged passengers out. The four year old Ubaid who was in his father’s lap fell down and received head injuries. The baby who was in lap of his mother sustained internal injuries due to hard pressing and falling down. He was rushed to hospital where he was declared brought dead,”
 Manhas said that murder case had been registered against the accused, “The culprits would not be spared.”
 The father of the baby, Nissar Ahmed told a local news channel that protesters stopped the matador near Chakloo and attacked the passengers. “They barged into the vehicle and kicked my children due to which Irfan died,” he said.
 When contacted Medical Superintendent district Hospital Varmul, Dr Nanda told Greater Kashmir that child was suffering from septicemia. “In this disease the infection enters the blood .The baby was gasping when he was brought to hospital,” he quoted pediatrician as having informed him. The postmortem of baby was not conducted, sources said.
 Meanwhile, Varmul town observed a complete shutdown against arrests for the third consecutive day, today. All shops were closed and traffic also remained off the roads.
The government offices in the town recorded a thin attendance.
 Protests rocked several areas mainly Government Transport Yard, Main Chowk, Cement Bridge and Khawja Bagh. Police fired dozens of tear smoke shells to quell the protesters.
 At Sheeri, some five kilometres from the town, at least six vehicles were damaged when a group of protesters appeared on the Srinagar-Varmul highway.
JKAP MEN BEAT POLICEMEN IN CIVVIES
 The situation near police station Varmul took an ugly turn this morning when the personnel of Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police started thrashing several youths and some executive policemen in civvies.
 Eyewitnesses said when the personnel of executive police raised objections against the high handedness of the armed police, the JKAP personnel pelted stones on the police station and it was after the intervention of senior police officials the situation came under control. The incident created panic on the Tehsil road Varmul with people fleeing from the scene and running for their safety.
 The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varmul, Shakeel Ahmad Beigh, said that the incident occurred due to some “misunderstanding.” “It was nothing but a small misunderstanding.”
REVENUE OFFICIALS OBSERVE STRIKE
 The Revenue employees of Tehsil office Varmul observed a one day strike here on Monday against the alleged ransacking of Tehsil office and the thrashing of its employees allegedly by the police on Saturday. All the employees including the executive magistrates were on the strike with the result daily work in the office was badly affected.
SOPUR SHUTS DOWN
 A shutdown was also observed in Sopur town amidst pro-freedom protests at main chowk and main bazar. Police used teargas shells and resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protests. The shops in main town remained closed while traffic was also disrupted.
PROTESTS IN SRINAGAR
 Scores of youth took to streets at Maisuma this morning and staged protests. They were demanding release of a local youth, Owais Ahmad, alias Mandela who has been booked by police under Public Safety Act for “stone-pelting.”
 Police and paramilitary CRPF men used force to quell the protests. Two photojournalists, Imran Ali of Kashmir Times and Tariq Ahmad of NDTV, were also injured during the clashes.
 Many of them gave slip to police and paramilitary troopers near Budshah Chowk and spread in the market places and enforced a shutdown. The traffic movement was also disrupted during the morning hours.
 Pertinently, a group of youth had called for a 4-day shutdown against Owais’s arrest yesterday.

(With inputs from Umar Maqbool Dar)

Lastupdate on : Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST