GOWHAR BHAT
Srinagar, June 20: A teenager was killed and four others sustained bullet injuries in old city here on Sunday when police and paramilitary CRPF troopers opened fire on the funeral procession of Muhammad Rafiq Bangroo of Danamazar, Safakadal who breathed his last on Saturday night.
 Eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir that hundreds of mourners were prevented by the police and paramilitary CRPF troopers to march towards Martyrs graveyard at Iddgah where they wanted to bury Bangroo. 

 “A group of angry youth then attacked a mobile CRPF bunker of 161 battalion stationed at Waniyar near Noorbagh. The Police and CRPF men retaliated with bullets,” witnesses added. 

 In the police action at least five persons were wounded. They were shifted to SMHS hospital amid commotion where one of them, Javaid Ahmad Malla, succumbed to his injuries. Javaid, 19, a resident of Palpora, Noorbagh, was hit by a bullet in the neck.  He was Bangroo’s relative and was part of his funeral procession.

 Four others are undergoing treatment at SMHS hospital where one of them, who has a bullet injury in his abdomen, is said to be critical.

 The injured were identified as Showkat Ahmad Sofi, Adil Mukhtar Bhat, Ghulam Nabi Sofi and Abid Ahmad Bhat—all residents of Noorbagh.

PROTESTS
 As the word about Malla’s death—second in less than 12 hours—spread, hundreds of people including men, women and children took to the streets and staged massive anti-India demonstrations. Police and paramilitary CRPF men resorted to baton charge and fired numerous tear smoke canisters to disperse the protesters who offered stiff resistance and retaliated with stones, triggering clashes that continued till late in the evening. 

While Bangroo was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard at Noorbagh, Malla’s body was buried at Martyrs’ graveyard at Iddgah. Sombre scenes were witnessed at Iddgah. 

 Malla, according to family, was the youngest among brothers and worked at a bag manufacturing unit at industrial unit at Khanmoh.

 As the clashes intensified reinforcements were rushed to control the situation. However, youth refused to relent and fought pitched battles with police and CRPF in which at least five persons including two policemen were injured. 

 Doctors said that a teenager Basit Majid of Safakadal was hit by a teargas shell on his head and he was shifted to SMHS and later to SKIMS.
 The other injured include Wasim Ahmad Dar of Kawdara, Feroz Ahmad Dar of Safakadal and two police constables.

POLICE VERSION
 “Protesters attacked Noorbagh Police Post and ransacked it. They also pelted stones at the CRPF camp. They damaged several police and private vehicles. However, a restrained response from police brought the situation under control,” a police spokesman claimed.  
 Protests were also reported from several other parts of old city and the uptown areas.

CRPF SPEAKS
 CRPF’s spokesperson, Prabhakar Tripathi, said, “After Bangroo’s death we had instructed the CRPF men stationed in the area to exercise maximum restraint. It was the local police which was dealing with the situation. But when protesters attacked our bunker and tried to set it ablaze, the Police and CRPF was compelled to open the fire.”

LOCALS WOE TO CONTINUE PROTESTS
 The locals, mainly youth, announced from the public announcement systems of mosques to continue protests for the next four days. They also urged separatists to unite.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST