Srinagar: An angry mob on Tuesday hurled stones
at a police party in Shopian, prompting the security personnel
to fire in the air and use batons in the South Kashmir town
which saw disruption of normal life in the wake of the clashes
with shops closing down and vehicles going off the road.
The clashes broke out as an irate mob charging the police
with destroying evidence to save the culprits in the alleged
rape and murder of two women in Shopian indulged in
stone-pelting on a police party escorting a market checking
squad led by Additional Deputy Commissioner M Y Zargar in the
town, 52 kms from here, official sources said.
Police fired warning shots and used batons to disperse
the protesters leading to clashes which spread through the
entire town, they said.
However, no one has so far been injured in the clashes,
they said.
The protesters also threw stones at the office of the
Deputy Commissioner smashing some windowpanes, the sources
said, adding, the clashes were still continuing at different
places in town.
The shopkeepers pulled down the shutters of their
establishments and all modes of transport also came to a
standstill following the clashes, they said.
Reinforcements have been rushed to the violence-hit areas
to maintain law and order.
Shopian witnessed a prolonged 47-day strike during summer
last year as people protested against the alleged rape and
killing of 17-year-old Asiya and her 22-year-old sister-in-law
Neelofar Jan in May.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 22:09