Srinagar observes shutdown over student`s death

Srinagar: Markets here remained closed to protest the death of a Kashmiri student in Hyderabad while a group of people clashed with the security forces on Tuesday. No separatist group had called for a shutdown in Srinagar.

Separatists have called for a march to south Kashmir`s Parigam village in Pulwama district, where the Kashmiri student who died under mysterious circumstances in Hyderabad was buried on Monday. Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel are deployed in full riot gear in south Kashmir areas to prevent the separatist march. In old city areas of Srinagar security personnel used tear gas canisters to disperse the protest march. The protesters hurled stones at the security forces who also responded by using batons. Authorities have not imposed any restrictions on pedestrian and vehicular movement in Srinagar. Reports of protesters trying to break the security force barricades have also come in from some south Kashmir areas of Anantnag and Pulwama districts. Mudasir Ahmad Malla, a Ph.D scholar in English and Foreign Languages University was found hanging in his room in a hostel room in Hyderabad Sunday. The body of the student was brought to his native Parigam village in Pulwama district Monday where thousands attended his funeral prayers. The separatists are alleging the student was murdered while the state government maintains it has been a case of suicide as per the preliminary investigations by Hyderabad police. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said there is no mystery about the death of the student since it was a case of suicide. He also said the details of the incident have been shared with the family of the student and could be made public if the family permitted. IANS