Srinagar, Jan 9: A teenager, who was shot at allegedly by the paramilitary CRPF troopers in city centre here on Friday evening, succumbed to his injuries at Sher-e- Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences this morning triggering wide spread protests in several areas of the city mainly in Malteng, Dalgate and Sonwar. The protests got intensified after police refused to handover the body to the family.
The CRPF troopers allegedly shot at the 16-year-old Inayat Khan son of Muhammad Amin of Malteng Dalgate when the protests were going on in Maisuma and its neighbouring areas. Witnesses said that Inayat was on his way to home from a coaching centre in the area, when CRPF chased away protesters.
“He was caught in the midst of the clash and when CRPF opened fire a bullet hit his thigh and he fell on the ground. In the chaos, a speedy CRPF vehicle hit him. Later CRPF men swarmed around him, they trampled him and beat him up with gun butts,” they alleged. He was first shifted to Bone and Joint hospital and later to SKIMS where he breathed his last.
“He had haemothorax (accumulation of blood in the cavity between the lungs and chest) and had multiple injuries and fractures in ribcage. He also had a bullet injury in his leg,” the Medical Superintendent of the SKIMS, Muhammad Amin Tabish told Greater Kashmir.
He succumbed due to the multiple internal injuries. His body was later taken to police control room for autopsy. His family members and friends said that the police and the administration was trying to “downplay the incident.”
“Doctors at Bone and Joint hospital had written on his ticket that he had a bullet injury which was later tampered with and the word bullet was scribbled,” they added.
“In his death certificate, doctors had again written that he had a bullet injury, but there is no mention of bullet in autopsy.” In the morning, when the news of his death broke, angry youth took to streets and staged protests in Dalgate and Sonwar.
“Punish the killers, punish the murderers,” they said, as they enforced road blockades by burning tyres and laying stones and poles on streets.
Police and CRPF troopers clashed with protesters, they baton charged and fired teargas shells to disperse the protesters. Shops and business in the area remained closed while the traffic was also disrupted.
His family, relatives, friends and neighbours waited for his body to arrive near the United Nations Military Observers office near Malteng and blocked the road. Women wailed and cried as they pleaded before the policemen to handover Inayat’s body to them.
While police delayed handing over of the body to the family, protests intensified and they marched towards the nearby residence of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Gupkar Road. “They have killed our son and now they are refusing to handover the body to us. It is brutal and barbaric. We want CM to act and punish the accused,” said a group of women amidst slogans.
However, the Senior Superintendent of Police pacified the protesters saying that he would personally go to PCR and get the body.  The body was finally handed over to the relatives around 4 pm.

FUNERAL PRAYERS AND PROTESTS
Hundreds of people took part in Inayat’s funeral prayers at Dalgate Chowk near Moulana Azad Bridge in the afternoon. Several separatist leaders including Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Javid Ahmad Mir, Shahid-ul-Islam, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Zafar Akbar Bhat, Habibullah Jeelani and Firdous Shah also participated in the funeral prayers.
He was later laid to rest at Martyrs’ graveyard at Malteng following which angry youth again took to streets and staged pro-freedom and anti-India demos.
Police fired teargas shells and several rounds of fire in air to disperse the protesters. However, they kept regrouping and pelted stones on police.

MAISUMA
Meanwhile, protests continued for the third consecutive day in the Maisuma and its neighbouring area. They pelted stones on police and CRPF personnel while later responded by baton charging and firing teargas shells.
Reports said 20 persons including six policemen were injured in the clashes across the city on Saturday.
DIG SPEAKS
The Deputy Inspector General Central Kashmir range, Hemant Kumar Lohia said that police was waiting for the autopsy report.
“What we know as of now, as per doctors, is that he has died of the shock. He had received injuries and his ribcage of completely damaged,” the DIG said.
He said that it was not clear that he had a bullet injury in his thigh. “No foreign object was found inside. The injury might be inflicted by a sharp object,” he said, adding police was also investigating in what circumstances his death took place.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 IST