Srinagar, Feb 15: Police have rounded up around 200 youth across the valley since Saturday creating panic among the people especially the youth who have started going into hiding following the widespread police raids.
Most of the youth have been arrested in Srinagar, Baramulla, Pulwama, Budgam and Anantnag districts. Among the arrested are youth who were allegedly involved in stone throwing and disruption of peace during 2008 and 2009. Police sources said the arrests were being made as a preventive measure and no cases have been registered against the detainees.
Reports said that joint columns of police and CRPF were carrying out nocturnal raids since Saturday evening and detaining the youth. In Srinagar, the youth have been arrested from Nowhatta, Khanyar, Safakadal, Soura, Batamaloo, Barzulla and many other localities. Some youth were called to police stations and latter detained, locals alleged.
In old city around 25 youth were arrested during the intervening night and same number of youth were taken into ‘preventive custody’ from civil lines areas of Srinagar. These youth have been kept in different police stations including Nowhatta, Khanyar, Shaheed Gunjg, Parimpora and Bemina. Earlier around 80 youth were arrested from parts of Srinagar in last one week.
Some parents said that their wards were called to police stations and later put behind the bars without any provocation. “We are unable to understand rationale behind the arrest spree,” said Mushtaq Ahmad of Khanyar.
In Pulwama district of south Kashmir, six youth were arrested Friday, besides 40 youth who were detained in last seven days.
Reports from Sopore and Budgam said that dozens of youth were picked up by the police in last one week from different pockets and most of these youth are those who were earlier arrested for alleged stone-pelting.
In north Kashmir’s Baramulla town, around 16 youth were reportedly picked by the police during the past week. Reports of arrests of youth were also received from Kulgam, Shopian and Tral areas of south Kashmir.
People allege that cops barge into their residential houses during the night hours and arrest the youth without any provocation. They said that most of the youth have gone into hiding because of the panic created by the law enforcing agencies.
Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad told Greater Kashmir that he has no handy number of the arrested youth. “There are some stone-pelters in police custody. Some separatist leaders are also in our custody,” he said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:00:00 IST