Shopian fallout: shutdown in valley, 12 injured in clashes

Srinagar, Dec 15 (PTI) A shutdown in protest against the
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) finding in the Shopian
case brought the Kashmir valley to a standstill Tuesday and
led to violent clashes between groups of youths and police
leaving a dozen persons injured.

Fire broke out in a house at Bohrikadal in the old city
of the northernmost Inddian state of Jammu and Kashmir during
the clashes and efforts were on to douse the flames.
Locals alleged that the fire was caused by indiscriminate
teargas shelling by police. However, police denied the charge.
The strike was called by a NGO Majlis-e-Mashawarat
against the CBI report Monday that the two young women in
Shopian allegedly raped and murdered had actually died by
drowning, triggering angry claims of a cover-up. The outfit
alleged that the guilty were being shielded and chargesheet
was being filed against innocents.
Anticipating trouble, authorities placed under house
arrest all top Hurriyat leaders including chairman of moderate
faction Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeen Ahmad
Khan, official sources said.
Shops and markets in Srinagar and other major towns of
the valley remained closed, as the situation in the city and
elsewhere in the valley remained tense. Aditional contingents
of police and paramilitary forces were deployed in sensitive
areas to maintain law and order.
The clashes erupted at nearly a dozen places in Srinagar,
two places in North Kashmir's Baramulla and South Kashmir's
Pulwama town when police stopped hundreds of people
shouting anti-CBI slogans from taking out processions.
Police used batons and teargas to control the crowd.
Giving a clean chit to four police officials in the
case, CBI had also indicted 13 people including six doctors,
five lawyers and two civilians for allegedly fabricating
evidence. (MORE) PTI AMS
RDM


The information contained in this electronic message and any attachments to this
message are intended for the exclusive
use of the addressee(s) and may contain proprietary, confidential or privileged
information. If you are not the intended
recipient, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please
notify the sender immediately and destroy
all copies of this message and any attachments contained in it.