Srinagar, June 09: At least 15 persons were injured, five of them seriously, in firing and tear smoke shelling by the police and paramilitary troopers in the south Kashmir district of Shopian Monday.
In Sofan Naman, CRPF troopers opened fire on a peaceful procession injuring four persons, one of them critically. One more protestor was injured critically at Rang Kadal when a tear gas shell hit him on his head.
The protestors from the villages adjoining Shopian were marching towards the town on the call of Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani to express solidarity with the family of the teenager and her pregnant sister-in-law raped and murdered last week.
Severe restrictions were in place in Pulwama and Shopian towns as police and CRPF men were deployed in strength since early morning to thwart the march.
However, thousands of people from Pinjoora, Baskuchan, Kiloora, Karoora, Imam Sahib. Habripora, Kumbdalan and Taslhoo defying the restrictions, started march towards Shopian.
Raising slogans: “We want freedom and qatiloon ko pesh karo,” the marchers reached Sofar Naman where CRPF troopers used force to stop them.
Those injured in the firing at Sofan Naman were identified as Zahoor Ahmad of Chakura, Ashiq Ahmad Ganai, Shawkar Ahmad and Jalal-ud-din Bhat, all from Baskuchan, and Fazlul Mateen of Handew.
Another five protesters were injured at the police and CRPF action at Rang Kadal. They were identified as Javed Ahmad Bhat, Imtiaz Ahmad Bhat, Shakeel Ahmad Ganai and Shahnawaz Ahmad, all of Keegam and Riyaz Ahmad Ganai of Palapora.
While the first four persons were injured in tear smoke shelling, one of them, Shahnawaz Ahmad, being referred to SMHS hospital, Srinagar, in critical condition, Riyaz Ahmad sustained injuries as a result of beating by the troopers.
Among the troopers injured were three CRPF men and two policemen. Two of the injured CRPF troopers were identified as Surjeet Singh and B K Samanta.
Clashes were reported from many other places in the district including in Main town Shopian.
A group of protestors, who reached the Srinagar’s Bone and Joint hospital from Shopian said that hundreds of people from Pinjoora and adjoining areas was shot at by CRPF and police.
“Underestimating the size of the crowd, they allowed us to move. However, as we moved ahead, the CRPF started cane charging us. We retaliated with stones, which caused the CRPF to retreat,” one of the protestors told Greater Kashmir.
“But after that they came back and started firing on the crowd. And, it was target firing,” another protestor said.
“They started firing on us, targeting the protestors. They did not even fire tear gas to warn us, not even aerial firing,” he added. None of the protestors gave their names, fearing reprisal from authorities.
The superintendent of police, Shopian, Javed Iqbal, told media persons that rubber bullets had been fired after the mob refused to disperse by tear gas shelling at Sofan Naman this afternoon.
However, the doctors at the Bone and Joint Hospital said that three of the four had “soft injuries”, while Jalal Ahmed was shifted to the SK Institute of Medical Sciences.
The chief medical officer, B&J hospital, Dr. Farooq Ahmed, said, “All the injuries had been caused by lead bullets as far as we could ascertain.” About one of the injured persons, he said, “The bullet has ruptured the veins of his left knee-cap. It has also fractured his leg.
We have now shifted him to SKIMS.”
INJURED OUT OF DANGER
Meanwhile, three of the four persons injured in a firing incident at Sofan Naman, Shopian, shifted to Srinagar for treatment, have been admitted to the Bone & Joints Hospital where they are reported to be out of danger.
Another injured person is under treatment in SKIMS, Soura, where doctors said his condition was stable, an official handout issued this evening said.
The three injured persons admitted to Bone & Joints Hospital, Burzalla include Showkat, 22 years, with thigh injury, Fazlul Mateen, 18 years, with ankle injury and Zahoor, 20 years, with thigh injury.
The injured person admitted in SKIMS, Jalal-ud-din, 20 years, has suffered tibia fracture knee injury and vascular injury. According to doctors, his condition is stable.
–Agencies