One dies, dozens injured in Kashmir

A man was killed in Srinagar and over two dozen students were injured in south Kashmir Pulwama district in fresh violence yesterday.The man was killed after security forces allegedly opened fire at protesters late yesterday. Police said they were looking into the circumstances in which the death took place.Police sources said the man identified as Sajad Ahmad, a resident of Tangmarg area in north Kashmir Baramulla district, was killed in Batmaloo area of Srinagar, but denied any force deployment in the area.“We didn’t have forces deployed in the area. We are investigating the matter,” a senior police officer said.Locals in the area, however, insisted that troops inside a paramilitary force vehicle fired after it was attacked by stone throwers.“We are still investigating to ascertain the actual facts that led to the youth’s death. The area where the firing incident occurred is not even the designated route for the security forces to pass. There was no deployment of police and paramilitary in the area,” the police officer said.Tension gripped the Batmaloo and adjacent areas after news of the death spread.Srinagar city was normal yesterday and shops and other businesses were working till late evening when suddenly everything came to a standstill after the incident.In another incident, over two dozen students were injured in clashes with security forces in Kashmir’s Pulwama town.Police said students of a local college objected to the setting up of a “naka” (checkpost) outside the college and threw stones at the security forces, police said.Security forces used tear smoke shells to disperse the students who kept re-grouping to engage the forces in pitched clashes.Reports from the town said around two dozen students including some girls were injured in the clashes.In other developments, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah won by-election to the Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary seat yesterday.The election was marred by large-scale violence and very poor turnout on balloting day. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister urged the central government to impose Governor’s rule in the state, terming the election as the “bloodiest ever”.Abdullah defeated the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party’s Nazir Ahmad Khan by 10,776 votes.The NC said it would not celebrate the victory because of the violence on polling day on April 9 in which eight civilians died in firing by security forces. Addressing reporters after his win, Abdullah urged the central government to dismiss the ruling BJP-PDP alliance.“I request the government of India and the president to dismiss the present government right away. Governor’s rule should be imposed and elections conducted under Governor’s rule,” Farooq said. “This was the bloodiest election ever. I am not happy with the win. But results show that people are in favour of NC.”Also yesterday, the police foiled independent legislators Engineer Rashid’s march to the Army’s 15 Corps, just few meters ahead of the main gate. The legislator was protesting against the army using a 27-year-old as a human shield.Rashid along with a dozen supporters was carrying placards protesting against the treatment meted out to the youth.