In a first, woman held in Valley for 2010 stone-throwing, was hurt in police firing

For the first time, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested a 22-year-old woman on charges of stone-throwing, more than two years after the incident reportedly happened.

According to the police, the accused, Zahida Akhter, then a school student, was involved in "rioting and stone-throwing" on September 19, 2010, when she was hit by a bullet in her leg when police fired at a funeral procession in Anantnag. Since then, Akhter has to use the help of crutches to move around.

On Thursday evening, the police went to Akhter's brother's shop to look for her. "They told me that she would have to go to the police station for some work," said Aadil Ahmad Dar, her brother.

On Friday morning, Akhter and Dar went to the police station, where she was detained by the police. After spending a night in the police station, she was granted bail today.

Police said a case against Akhter was registered during the summer protests in 2010. "She was arrested in a case pertaining to 2010," said Anantnag SSP Ramesh Kumar Jalla. "It is a case of rioting and stone throwing".

Akhter has been booked under sections 148 (rioting or armed with deadly weapon), 149 (member of a group guilty of offence), 336 (act endangering life or property of others) and 355 (assault) of the Ranbir Penal Code.

Akhter's mother, Rehti Begum, 62, however, claimed that while she had taken part in the funeral procession, "she has never thrown a stone". She added: "It was a funeral procession of a boy who had drowned in a river, and police fired at her."

ALSO READ

30 yrs of marriage, few days to deportation to Pakistan

India pins hope on tactics that helped end past Chinese incursions

'Railway official was eyeing lucrative electrical post'

Pawan Bansal won't quit, Congress decides to weather new storm