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| Protests rock Kashmir against rape of three year old girl, strike affects normal life | | |  Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, May 13: Over a dozen people were injured during clashes and protests which erupted on Monday across the valley, including in Kashmir University and Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), against rape of a three year old girl at Sumbal in North Kashmir district of Bandipora.
In the meantime, Governor Satya Pal Malik and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan appealed people to maintain peace, brotherhood and Law and Order, assuring that the enquiry of Sumbal rape incident is being conducted on fast track basis.
Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the rape of the minor girl which took place on May 8 in Sumbal, Bandipora.
Hundreds of protestors hit the streets at Chenbal Pattan in North Kashmir district of Baramulla to protest against the rape of the minor girl. However, security forces deployed in the area swung into action tried to stop the protestors from moving ahead.
As the demonstrators didn't back down, security forces burst teargas shells to disperse the protestors, who resorted to stone pelting. About a dozen youth were injured during the clashes.
Scores of students of Kashmir University staged a protest inside the campus, demanding exemplary punishment for the culprit. A demonstration was also held in IUST, where students and staff members held a sit-in protest in solidarity with the rape survivor.
Similar peacefully protests were held across Kashmir valley, including in downtown Srinagar, Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, Gow Kadal, Anantnag town, other parts of South Kashmir, many parts in Budgam in Central Kashmir, Sopore, and Bandipora in North valley.
Meanwhile, normal life was affected in the valley due to a strike called by a religious-cum-separatist organization against the rape incident.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan on Monday appealed people to maintain peace, brotherhood and Law & Order, assuring that the enquiry of Sumbal rape incident is being conducted on fast track basis.
A police spokesperson said that there were no restrictions in any part of the valley though security forces have been deployed in strength in sensitive areas to maintain law and order.
Most shops and business establishments were closed though good a number of vehicles, including public transport, were plying on roads in Srinagar city.
Business activities were paralyzed in main business hubs of the city, including Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), Batmaloo, Dalgate, Regal Chowk, Moulana Azad road, Residency road and Mahraj Bazar.
Additional security forces, wearing bullet proof jackets and holding weapons and lathis in their hands, were seen patrolling the streets in some areas in downtown Srinagar, where people held peaceful protests against the rape of the minor.
The strike called by 'Itehadul Muslimeen' -- a religious organization which is also a constituent of Hurriyat Conference (M) has a partial impact in uptown Srinagar, where some shops and business establishments were open.
Report said life was affected in this and other north Kashmir towns and tehsil headquarters, where most shops were closed and traffic was off the road in support of the strike. Additional security forces have been deployed in entire north Kashmir to prevent any law and order problem. However, a complete shutdown was observed in Sumbal and other adjoining areas in Bandipora.
Life also came to a grinding halt in Central Kashmir district of Budgam while the strike had partial affected in Ganderbal. Normal life was partly affected in south Kashmir, where most shops and business establishments were closed though good a number of vehicles were plying on some routes. |
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