Separatists to lead march today, alert across Valley

The Army has been called in to impose curfew in nine districts of Kashmir while Srinagar city is manned by the police and CRPF. Sources said additional personnel of the CRPF and paramilitary forces were flown into the city late last night.

In Dalgate locality in Srinagar, the CRPF opened fire, killing 70-year-old Ghulam Qadir Hajam, a barber, while his son Mohammad Yaqoub Hajam was hit in the neck and was taken to hospital in a critical condition. “There were a few boys inside the lane. The CRPF men opened fire and killed this elderly man. His son too is seriously injured,” said SHO Ram Munshi Bagh. “We are trying to pacify people.”

CRPF spokesman Prabhakar Tripathi said that a group of people were hurling stones at their camp in the Star hotel. “Our men chased them and somebody threw hot milk over them in a narrow lane. They (the CRPF) opened fire,” he said.

Police and CRPF men didn’t allow the doctors, paramedics and ambulances to reach the hospitals this morning. “We had a lot of problems. Our staff was not able to come to the hospital, even ambulances were not allowed to move,” said Dr Waseem Qureshi, Medical Superintendent, SMHS hospital. “We have approached the district administration and hope things will improve.”

The CRPF men even targeted the media. Six journalists were beaten up though they were carrying curfew passes issued by the authorities. The Srinagar correspondent of Sahara television Bilal Bhat and cameraman Johan Mohammad were seriously injured when CRPF men assaulted them at Rambagh bridge while they were on their way to office. Bhat is in hospital with a broken rib while his cameraman’s arm has been fractured. A Japanese photojournalist too was beaten up in the city.

At Beerwah in central Kashmir, police and CRPF teargassed a crowd which had taken to the streets during curfew and was raising slogans. Unable to make them disperse, the police resorted lathi charge and fired in the air. Eighteen persons were injured. In Handwara, a large group protested an alleged sacrilege by security forces — a charge which was denied by the authorities. Over a dozen people were injured in the lathicharge that followed.

... contd.