Normal life remained crippled in Kashmir valley on Thursday as the authorities imposed curfew in several localities of capital Srinagar and north Kashmir’s Kupwara district to thwart widespread protests against death of four civilians, including a woman, in firing in Handwara on April 12.
The security forces on Tuesday had opened fire on a group of protesters who alleged that a schoolgirl was molested by soldiers manning a bunker. However, the girl has refuted the allegation that soldiers abused her.
The authorities also snapped Internet service on mobile phones to curb rumour mongering on social media. All separatist leaders — including Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq — were kept under house detention.
The separatists had called for shutdown on Wednesday and Thursday followed by peaceful protests on Friday.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Farooq lone said that the restrictions would continue in several parts of Srinagar on Friday. The Internet services will also remain suspended, sources said.
During the day, all shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was generally off the roads.
Sources said that minor clashes erupted between youth and security forces in Habba Kadal and zainakot area of Srinagar.
In north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, authorities imposed curfew in langate, Kupwara, and Handwara towns even as normal life came to a grinding halt in other parts of the border district.
“The situation remained largely peaceful throughout the Valley though a few incidents of stone pelting were reported from Handwara and Srinagar. Miscreants pelted stones in Magam Handwara, Zakoora and HMT areas of Srinagar. The deployments exercised maximum restraint and there were no reports of injuries to any civilian although some cops were injured one of them seriously who was referred to Srinagar from Handwara,” a police spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Coalition of Civil Society, a leading rights group in Kashmir, said that the family of the minor girl in the Handwara sexual assault case has approached it for legal counsel and other support. The group said that the girl’s father has been detained by police and there is no word on the whereabouts of the girl.
“The family of the girl states that she has been kept in police custody from April 12 till date. last night, around 1 am, the father of the victim was called to the Handwara police station. He was accompanied by his brother. Since then his whereabouts are not known. The family has been denied access to both the minor girl and her father,” a CCS statement said.
The detention of the minor girl and her father are outside the powers of the State and appears to be an attempt to further pressurise the family to withdraw all allegations against the armed forces. Further, the manner in which the video has been recorded and then circulated is a gross violation of the special protections afforded to minors particularly during investigation of sexual assault cases. The actions of the police and the Army would necessarily invite criminal prosecution if investigated, the statement added.