Life in Valley hit; Army quizzes soldiers

Normal life remained disrupted in the Kashmir Valley for the second consecutive day on Wednesday due to restrictions imposed by the government in the wake of killing of two youths in Army firing on Monday even as the accused soldiers were questioned by their superiors. Various separatist leaders, including both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, JKLF and others, called for a strike to protest against the killing of two youths in firing by the Army in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Monday evening. Authorities imposed curfew in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of six police stations of old Srinagar and Nowgam police station on the outskirts of Srinagar. Sources told Deccan Herald that the entire 53 Rashtriya Rifle (RR) column, comprising 16 soldiers and an officer, has been shifted to Sector Headquarters of RR. "The court of inquiry into the incident is being conducted by deputy commander of the sector and the accused soldiers are being questioned,” they said. "The questioning will reveal the circumstances of the firing that led to killing of two youths and critical injuries to two others,” they said. The Jammu and Kashmir Police have already registered a murder case into the incident. The FIR registered in Police Station Chadoora, reads: "On November 3, at 5:20 pm, the police received information from reliable sources that Army unit (53 RR) had laid a check point/naka at general road Chattergam. During the naka duty, the personnel fired upon a vehicle, Maruati car (JK01 R -0321), resulting in the death of two persons and injuries to two individuals travelling in the car. On receipt of information a case FIR NO 231/14, under Section 302, 307 RPC was registered and investigations set into the motion.” Reports said public transport remained off the roads in most parts of the Valley while private transport was plying normally. Most of the government offices witnessed thin attendance while educational institutions remained closed. In Srinagar, security forces closed all the exit and entrance points to old Srinagar with barbed wire and blocked road junctions with armoured vehicles. Civil Lines areas of the city also witnessed complete shutdown with heavy deployment of forces on roads. Reports from other district headquarters said business establishments remained shut to protest the killing. Chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani were put under house arrest while JKLF chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik continues to remain in police custody. He was arrested four days ago. A police spokesman said situation remained normal throughout Kashmir. "However, isolated minor incidents of stone-pelting were reported from some areas. But there were no reports of any injury to anybody so far,” he said. DHNS