Islamabad, July 13: Following the cold blooded murder of three teenagers in this South Kashmir town on June 29 allegedly by police, 36 youths have been booked by the police for ‘their involvement in protests and stone pelting.’
“Five youths have been booked under Section 307 RPC for attempting to murder policemen with stones, while the rest are facing detention under various bailable and non-bailable sections. Besides, two persons have been booked under Public Safety Act (PSA),” a police official told Greater Kashmir.
He said that the detained youth are frequently involved in stone pelting and the ones suspected of having injured policemen with stones have been charged with attempt to murder.
The arrestees, he said, have been detained in various police stations of the town.
The two persons booked under Public Safety Act include Mirwaiz South Kashmir, Qazi Yasir, and a 23-year old youth, Atif Hassan son of Ghulam Hasan Sheikh of Janglat Mandi. Both have been shifted to Kotbalwal jail in Jammu. While the Mirwaiz was booked for ‘instigating violence and justifying stone pelting through speeches and on social networking site- Facebook-,’ Atif has been booked for ‘stone pelting’ and, according to police officials, has as many as 22 charges leveled against him.
The crackdown on the protesters and stone pelters began in the town after the cold blooded murder of three teenagers-  Shujat-ul-Islam, Ishtiyaq Ahmad Khanday and Imtiyaz Ahmad Itoo- allegedly by police inside the lawn of a residential house in Anchidora area. Five others including a ten year old kid, Suhail Ahmad, were injured in the incident.
The killings triggered violent protests in the town and adjoining areas following which curfew was clamped for 12 days.
The locals said the arrested youths are mostly in the age group of 15 to 25 years, hailing from the volatile areas of the old town including Malakhnag, Cheeni Chowk, Reeshi Bazar, Sherpora, Janglat Mandi, Mattan Chowk, Dangerpora and Kadipora and are being picked up from their houses during nocturnal raids.
“Fearing arrests, many youths have left the homes. But police is now summoning their fathers to the police stations,” locals said.
In certain areas of the town, the locals beat drums to save the youth from the clutches of the police during nocturnal raids.
“We have asked the locals to raise alarm by beating the drums whenever they spot the policemen during night hours,” said the residents of Mattan Chowk adding that they have been successful in their attempt.
The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Islamabad, Showkat Ahmad Malik, however, refused to comment on the issue.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST