Normal life went out of gear in the Kashmir Valley on Sunday in protest against the killing of two youngsters at the hands of the Army in Ganawpora village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Saturday. Police have registered a murder case against the soldiers even as the Army maintained that soldiers opened fire in “self defence” when a mob of around 200 people attempted to lynch a junior commissioned officer after attacking a convoy of vehicles with stone.
The State Government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. Deputy Commissioner Shopian has been asked to submit report within 20 days Joint Resistance leadership (JRl) comprising senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik called for daylong shutdown against the killings. The separatists rejected the probe order saying the probes have become a mockery as no inquiry has been conducted with fairness and taken to logical conclusion.
All shops and business establishments remained closed and public transport was off the roads. The flea market in capital Srinagar functioned normally and private vehicles plied on most of the roads. The authorities had suspended train services between Banihal and Baramulla while restrictions on public movement were imposed in old parts of Srinagar. The separatist leaders were put under house arrest. A legislator from langate Sheikh Abdur Rashid was detained when he attempted to march towards the official residence of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. He was later relocated at his Jawahir Nagar official residence and disallowed to go out for the day. The officials also snapped mobile internet in most parts of the Valley but barring sensitive areas of south Kashmir, the services were restored on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, police have filed a case against the army unit on murder and ‘attempt to murder’ charges over the killing of two civilians Javed Ahmad Bhat and Suhail Javed lone.
According to the Fist Information Report filed by the police, the charges of murder and ‘attempt to murder’ have been invoked against the army. The FIR has been registered under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 336 (endangering life).