Two youngsters were killed after security forces opened fire on a group of protesters in north Kashmir’s Handwara town on Tuesday afternoon. The protests erupted over allegation of molestation of a girl by troops deployed in a bunker in the central square of the populous town. The Army has regretted the incident and ordered an enquiry to know the facts while police filed a case for investigations.
Sources said that the situation worsened in the town when a girl was spotted near a concrete Army bunker built inside a roundabout in the middle of the town. A group of schoolboys shouted slogans and began pelting stones on the bunker alleging that the girl was molested by jawans.
While the sloganeering and stone-pelting intensified as more protesters joined in, eyewitnesses said, there was a firing on the protesters. One youngster Mohamamd Iqbal (22) was hit in his head and he died instantly. Another youngster Nayeem Qadir (21) was hit in his abdomen. He died while being evacuated to hospital. A woman, hailing from langate village is critically wounded.
Around a dozen others have been wounded in the firing, some of them critically.
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, Kumar Rajiv Ranjan said that a a magisterial enquiry has been ordered into the incident. “The situation is critical. The stone pelting is going on in the town. Police led by the SP is at the spot,” Ranjan said.
Shortly after the incident, video clips were uploaded by the locals showing protesting youngsters attacking the Army bunker and security forces opening fire. The protesters put a portion of the bunker on fire as the soldiers evacuated the overhead multi-compartment bunker built on concrete pillars.
Spokesman of the Ministry of Defence in Srinagar lt Col N N Joshi said the Army will investigate the matter and guilty will be dealt as per law.
“Army deeply regrets the unfortunate loss of life. Matter will be investigated and anybody found guilty will be dealt as per law,” Joshi said.
Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Javed Mujtaba Gilani said that police have filed a case and would try to investigate the incident.
Zonal police in a statement said that the protests were triggered by the allegation that a girl has been molested by an Army man. “Within minutes public in large numbers gathered there and attacked the army bunker in Handwara chowk. They assaulted the personnel deployed there, ransacked the bunker and attempted to set fire to the bunker,” police said.
A criminal case has been registered in Police Station Handwara and investigation launched to ascertain the facts.
The separatist groups called for as shutdown. Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tweeted, “PM Narendra Modi was speaking about animal protection while his armed forces shot dead two more innocent Kashmiri boys who were protesting against molestation attempt of a girl student by Army personnel in Handwara town.”