Srinagar, Nov 2: Life returned to normal across Kashmir Valley on Tuesday even as fresh protests over arrests of youth erupted in Baramulla in north Kashmir and Bijbehara in south Kashmir.
Witnesses said the protests broke out in Sheeri, Baramulla, last night over the arrest of two youth- Irshad Ahmad Sheikh and Rais Ahmad Ganai- on the charges of stone pelting.
The protests resumed this morning with people demanding the release of the arrested youth. People, including women, blocked the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. They pelted police and CRPF with stones as they attempted to disperse them. The forces later cane charged protesters and lobbed teargas shells.
At least 16 persons were injured in the day long clashes. Locals said police also detained five persons during the protests. The forces, they said, have let loose a reign of terror in Sheeri Bala and Sheeri Payeen areas.
“The forces smashed the window panes of dozens of residential houses. They also damaged the vehicles parked on the streets,” they said.
In Bijbehara township of south Kashmir’s Islamabad (Anantnag) district, two women were injured in the protests triggered by the arrest of several youth.
Residents alleged that the police raided houses and arrested several youth while two of them have been booked under Public Safety Act.
People, including women, took to streets and sought the release of the detained youth. They blocked the Srinagar-Jammu highway for a while. However, police and paramilitary forces swung into action and dispersed the protesters by resorting to baton charge and lobbing tear gas canisters.
At least eight persons, including two women, sustained injuries in the police action. The forces also fired several rounds of fire in air to disperse the protesters who responded by pelting stones.
Meanwhile, the residents alleged that the forces barged into several houses at Saraf Mohalla and other localities smashing the window panes of the houses and beating up the inmates including women and children. A girl, Urfia, daughter of Abdul Rashid Wagay who was allegedly mercilessly beaten up by the forces suffered severe injuries and was hospitalized.
Elsewhere in the Valley, life returned to normal this morning as authorities lifted curfew in parts of Baramulla and Bandipora districts and separatists called off the strike for the day.
Shops, businesses, educational institutions, banks and offices opened normally while traffic also resumed in all districts of the Valley.
The entrance points to the summer capital and the central business hub from Dalgate to Batamaloo witnessed traffic jams throughout the day.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 2 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 2 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 3 Nov 2010 00:00:00 IST