Srinagar, Jan 15: Complete shutdown was observed across the Valley on Saturday on the call of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Police rounded up three youth for snow-pelting in downtown area of the city.
Normal life was paralyzed across the Srinagar city as shops, business establishments and government offices remained closed and traffic was off the roads. Large contingent of police and paramilitary CRPF personnel were deployed in strength in volatile areas of old city and civil lines as precautionary measure to thwart pro-freedom protests.
Meanwhile police detained three youth, who according to the locals were throwing snow balls on each other for fun, in Gojwara area of downtown. “They were throwing snow on each other and not on the cops or paramilitary CRPF men,” locals told Greater Kashmir.
The police, however, said that they were involved in stone-pelting and damaged the window pane of a vehicle. “We have caught them red handed while pelting bricks,” Superintendent of Police, north city, Showkat Ahmed Shah said.
Shah denied assertions of locals that the trio was picked up for snow pelting.
 The three have been identified as Moieen Majid Mattoo, Shah Zubair and Adil Ahmed.
 Two others, Reyaz Ahmed Rah and Bilal Ahmed Najar, were also held allegedly for enforcing strike in the area.
 “We have registered an FIR number 11 of 2011 under section 147 and 148 RPC against them at Nowhatta police station,” he added.
 Meanwhile complete shutdown was also observed in north and south Kashmir. Shops, business establishments and government offices remained closed in Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara, Islamabad (Anantnag), Pulwama and other districts.
 The Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani had called for strike today to protest against the arrests of youth and crackdown on the amalgam.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 15 Jan 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 15 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 16 Jan 2011 00:00:00 IST