Srinagar, August 02: A spontaneous shutdown was observed in North Kashmir’s apple town Sopore and other areas of Baramulla district against the alleged custodial killing of 25-year-old Nazim Rashid Shalla alias Anjum.
The Hurriyat conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has called for a statewide shutdown on Wednesday against the incident which he termed “a grave human rights violation committed by police.”
All shops, business establishments, banks, educational institutions and government offices in the entire town remained closed since early this morning. The vehicular movement on roads was also limited to private and a few public transport vehicles.
Tight security arrangements were put in place to avoid any untoward incident. A heavy deployment of police and CRPF men in riot gear remained on guard at almost every nook and corner of the town throughout the day.
However, there were no reports of any protest till this report was compiled.
The shutdown was also observed in other areas of the Baramulla district including Sangrama, Delina, Kanispora and the Baramulla town. Reports said all routine activities remained suspended while the traffic movement on the roads was also scarce.
A large contingent of army, reports said, was deployed since early morning in the volatile areas including Cement Bridge and Azad Gunj. However, there were no reports of any protest or violence.
Nazim-a small-time shopkeeper from Alamdar Colony of Krankshiven locality- was, according to his family, picked by Army on Saturday afternoon and handed over to the Special Operation Group (SOG) of police for interrogation in connection with the recent killing of a local businessman, Mohammed Ashraf Dar.
He was allegedly tortured to death during the night.
The post-mortem of the body was conducted yesterday in presence of the magistrate after which it was handed over to the family late in the evening for final rites. The family alleged that body had visible torture marks.
A case of custodial killing under Section 302-RPC has been registered by police.
Meanwhile, a minor incident of stone pelting took place at Ram Bagh here. The witnesses said that early in the morning a group of youth took to streets and attacked policemen, deployed in the area, with stones. However, the situation was taken under control before long.
Geelani calls for shutdown
Terming it the grave violation of human rights committed by police, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a complete shutdown on Wednesday.
“Keeping in view the circumstances we are living in, strike is the only option with this poor and desperate nation for expressing anger against the state terrorism. Therefore, I humbly appeal the society to make Wednesday’s strike successful,” Geelani, who has been put under house arrest, said in a press statement issued here.
“Strike is the last resort to a nation that is not allowed to protest peacefully, and whose leaders and people are languishing in jails or are barred from coming out of the homes,” he said.
Geelani accused the forces of deliberately killing Nazim who, he thinks, was only eyewitness in the killing of Mohammed Ashraf Dar.
“From the statement of his (Nazim’s) father, it is clear that Nazim was the only eyewitness of the murder of the Dar. There is no doubt that the agencies who killed Dar have murdered the only eyewitness in the case too,” Geelani said commenting on the statement of victim’s father, adding “All killings by unidentified gunmen in Sopore are the handy work of agencies.”
He castigated the state government for its policies of “arrests, house arrest and harassment.”
“These stake holders of so called democracy have put thousands of people including the leaders behind bars; we are not allowed to meet the people; and the chastity of our mothers and sisters is under threat,” he said.
Separatists under house arrest
The authorities persisted with the house arrest of most separatists leaders including Hurriyat conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
A Hurriyat (M) press statement said Mirwaiz was placed under house arrest for the second consecutive day. He was not allowed to go on the scheduled visit to Sopore, it said.
A delegation of Hurriyat (M) leaders, however, managed to reach the victim’s hometown for condolence.
The democratic Freedom party chairman, Shabir Ahmad Shah, was also kept under the house arrest. He strongly criticized the magisterial inquiry ordered into the incident.
“We have seen commissions before. It is just an attempt to mislead the people,” he said in a press statement.
“It is unfortunate that after killing the innocent Nazim, police used force over the mourning procession. Kashmir is the only pace where people are not allowed to even mourn the killings of their loved ones. And this situation will continue until revocation of all draconian laws,” he said.
Nayeem Ahmed Khan was arrested by police is lodged in Saddar police station since yesterday.
Mainstream politicians detained
The MLA Langate Er Rasheed was arrested by police on way to Sopore.
He was leading a procession of thousands of people towards Sopore, including around 45 Sarpancahes of Langate constituency.
Police stopped the procession at Wangam on Handwara-Baramulla highway and arrested Er Rasheed and many others.
The opposition leader Mehbooba Mufti, who was put under house arrest yesterday, managed to give slip to security at her Gupkar residence.
This afternoon, her cavalcade arrived at Dalgate where police stopped her. She was picked up in the police vehicle and dropped at her residence.