Srinagar, July 20: A day after police fired upon protesters in Varmul killing a youth, authorities imposed curfew in the town and nearby Sopur while an undeclared curfew remained imposed in the summer capital on Tuesday. The rest of the Valley remained shut on the call of Hurriyat Conference (G).
The volatile areas of the downtown, falling under the jurisdiction of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Maharajgunj, Rainawari, Safakadal, Soura, Lalbazar, Nigeen police stations were sealed by police and CRPF deployed in large numbers, and prohibitory orders remained imposed in these areas. The forces didn’t allow any civilian movement and restricted people to their homes.
The entry points to the downtown were sealed by iron barricades and concertina wires at several places. In uptown areas, strict restrictions were also imposed in areas falling under Batmaloo, Maisuma, Kralkhud and Shaheedgunj police stations.
Despite restrictions, people staged protests at several places including Dalgate, Hyderpora and Nowgam areas of the city.
In Varmul, locals, angered over the recent killings, staged protests in old town, cement bridge, Khanpora, Transport yard bridge, Kanli Bagh, Tawheed Gunj localities for the third consecutive day today.
Protesters shouted anti-India, anti-police and pro-freedom slogans. Police and CRPF tried to chase them away, However, they offered resistance and pelted stones on forces who responded by lobbing tear gas canisters and firing rounds of live ammunition in air.
The ding-dong clashes continued till late evening.
Police restricted the protesters to the old part of the town by blocking three bridges leading to the civil lines areas of the town. Hundreds of people from Biner marched to old town Varmul during the day. The protesters, chanting slogans, “Stop state terrorism,” and “we want freedom,” gathered at the old town and later visited the family of the Faizan Rafiq, who was chased to death by police on Friday evening. Faizan drowned into Jhelum waters and his body was retrieved Monday evening.
In neighbouring Sopur town, authorities, fearing protests over the Varmul killings, imposed curfew in the town and its peripheries.
Incidents of minor protests were reported from a few localities in the town.
The south Kashmir Islamabad town remained tense today. An undeclared curfew was imposed in the town by police and CRPF men. The restrictions were strict in Malakhnag and Kadipora localities which witnessed massive protests on Monday by locals demanding removal of SOG camp of police.
SOG men had brutally thrashed two youth in the area on Monday night when they barged into residential areas. They ransacked houses and beat inmates. One of the youth, Arif Rehman Hakeem son of Abdul Rehman Hakeem of Kadipora was today shifted to SKIMS, Srinagar, in a critical condition. Witnesses said he sustained severe head injuries as he was beaten by gun butts.
Locals said that SOG men also beat up women and molested two of them.
However, Khanabal-Pahalgam road remained open during the day today. Later in the evening, protests erupted at Sarnal and Kadipora localities against the highhandedness of SOG personnel.
Amid curfew-like restrictions, reports of shutdown also poured in from other towns and district headquarters of the Valley including Pampore, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Budgam, Handwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Kupwara.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST