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| Geelani's Sumo among 30 vehicles damaged | | Stone pelting at 20 spots in Srinagar; 25 youth detained; Shutdown today | | AHMED ALI FAYYAZ
EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, June 13: Separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Superintendent of Srinagar Central Jail had a narrow escape as their vehicle, on way to SKIMS, was among 30-odd vehicles damaged in different incidents of stone pelting today. Taken into custody by Police and admitted to hospital, Geelani has called for a total shutdown in Valley to protest a teenager's killing and asked the Kashmiris to attend the Rasm-e-Chaharum of Tufail Ahmed Matoo at Sayeeda Kadal on Monday.
Informed sources told Early Times that an unruly mob subjected a cavalcade of Srinagar Central Jail to heavy stone pelting at Nowshehra when detained Hurriyat (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was being shifted from jail to SKIMS, Soura, today. According to these sources, when Geelani refused to board a Police vehicle, Superintendent of Central Jail drove him to SKIMS in a Tata Sumo vehicle, bearing No: JK01G-3654. Sources said that the Tata Sumo carrying Geelani to SKIMS was among three to four Police protected vehicles that were subjected to the stone pelting and damaged. Nobody was reportedly injured.
When the stone pelting youth noticed that it was Geelani's vehicle, they themselves carried him to SKIMS in a Maruti-800. Even as the doctors who examined the 82-year-old separatist leader maintained that he had no medical complicacy, they admitted him in Medical ICCU. Geelani is reachable to everybody on his mobile phone. Speaking to KNS from the hospital, he asked the people of Kashmiri to march to the residence of 18-year-old student, Tufail Ahmed Matoo, at Sayeeda Kadal and attend his Rasm-e-Chaharum tomorrow. He called for a total shutdown to register "strong protest" against the teenager's death allegedly in an incident of tearsmoke shelling by Police on a group of stone pelting youth at Gani Memorial Sports Stadium on Friday last.
Earlier today, at least five persons sustained injuries when youngsters resorted to stone pelting on vehicular traffic at Nowshehra. Sources said that a 5-year-old girl, Tabaan D/o Shakil Ahmed R/o Gausiya Colony Bemina, was among the injured. Her father was carrying the child to Soura. She was rushed to SKIMS for medical treatment. In another incident of stone pelting, an official car allotted to Congress MLC, Mohammad Amin Bhat, was damaged at Magarmal Bagh. Bhat was not traveling in the car.
Reports pouring in from different sources said that stone pelting mobs disrupted vehicular traffic at 20 spots in the capital city today. At least 30 civilian vehicles were reportedly damaged in these incidents. Even as demonstrators clashed with Police and CRPF at few spots---particularly Bemina, Chhattabal and Bagiyas---and attempted to dismantle two CRPF bunkers and a Police office, unruly groups subjected all kinds of vehicles to heavy stone pelting at Sayeedakadal, Rainawari, Nowhatta, Soura, Khwaja Yarbal, Kathi Darwaza, Nayidyar, Rangar Stop, Chhattabal, Qamarwari, Fateh Kadal, Saraibala, Rambagh, Solina, Maisuma as also on the national Highway Bypass at Bemina and Tengpora.
In defence, Police and CRPF fired tearsmoke canisters and unleashed baton charge on the stone pelters.
IGP Kashmir, Farooq Ahmed, told Early Times that more than 20 youth were caught red-handed while pelting stones on Police and civilian vehicles and detained at different Police stations in Srinagar. He claimed that stone pelting took plact at just three or four spots today and nobody was injured. Non-official sources insisted that at least 18 persons, including six Police and CRPF personnel and four photojournalists, sustained injuries in today's intermittent clashes. IGP said that on a judicial magistrate's remand Geelani was shifted from Police Division Humhama to Srinagar Central Jail. He said that later the jail authorities shifted him to Soura and admitted him to SKIMS Medical ICCU.
Even as IGP Kashmir maintained that there were no restrictions in force today, residents insisted that civilian movement was barred in areas falling under the jurisdiction of the five Police Stations of Rainawari, Nowhatta, Khanyar, MR Gunj and Safakadal. Reports said that shops and other business establishments, which normally function on Holiday, were closed in over half of the capital city. Traffic was also badly disrupted.
However, reports from elsewhere said that like was normal everywhere with the exception of Srinagar city. Authorities are likely to impose far severe restrictions on the civilian movement in view of Geelani's shutdown call and Rasm-e-Chaharum of Tufail Ahmed Matoo on Monday.
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