Another youth killed in Baramulla

Amid unrest, another youth killed in Baramulla

Srinagar, July 19:

As the dust was far off to settle in the back drop of sixteen deaths in past little over a month, security forces allegedly shot dead one more teenaged youth during protests after the body of teenager who drowned when chased by police was fished out from a river in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district late on Monday.

Official sources said that the trouble erupted soon after Marine commandos and police fished out the body of a 13-year old Farhan Ahmad Buhroo, from river Jhelum in Baramulla town late in the afternoon.

Farhan had drowned after he jumped to escape clutches of policemen who were chasing a group of stone pelting protesters in the area on Saturday last.

“The body was fished out from the river and it was handed over to the relatives for burial,” a police cop told this newspaper.

As soon as the news of the body being found spread in Baramulla town, hundreds of angry protesters, mainly youth took to streets and shouted ant-India and pro-freedom slogans.

The mobs indulged in heavy stone pelting on the security forces and tried to march towards the old town. As the angry mob swelled, the security force allegedly opened fire, killing an 18-year-old Fayaz Ahmad Khanday son of Gulam Mohammad Khanday on the spot while another youth—Gulam Ahmad Gojri son of Abdul Rehman was critically wounded. The injured has been admitted in SHMS hospital here where his condition is stated to be critical. “He has bullet injury and his condition is critical,” a doctor who attended upon him said.

The situation in the area was very tense when reports last came in while as reinforcement of security forces were rushed to control the situation.

Earlier in the day, employees staged demonstrations against the recent killing of civilians and bystanders allegedly by uniformed men.

Sources said that a group of government employees headed by Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) President, Qayoom Wani staged demonstrations near old secretariat. Police also prevented the employees from marching ahead by closing all the entrance and exit points.

“We strongly condemn human rights violations by forces. If the killings of innocents did not stop, it will have serious consequences,” Wani told reporters.

He demanded that the persons responsible for the killing should be identified and punished under law.

Meanwhile, normal life remained affected for the fourteenth consecutive day across Srinagar and other major towns and districts of the Valley in view of the strike call given by Hurriyat Conference led Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Shops, offices, educational institutes, banks, petrol pumps, business establishments and government offices across the Valley remained closed, while transport remained off the roads.

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