‘Braid chopper’ attacks girl in Old City area
Srinagar: As the braid chopping incidents continues in the valley, it has turned to near fatal in many cases as suspected choppers use anything that comes handy during the attack.
A girl was seriously injured today when she was hit on her head by a brick. According to the reports, a college going girl was seriously injured when she was being followed by an unknown person and as soon as she reached near her house in Fatehkadal area the alleged braid chopper hit her with a brick and chopped her hair before running away.
Reports said that the victim whose identity is not being revealed was immediately rushed to the hospital where she is being treated for a head fracture.
Following the incident, the locals of the Fatehkadal took to the streets and blocked the road. The protesters were demanding action against the culprits.
Meanwhile, in north Kashmir’s Uri town braid of a teenager was cut off when she went to the washroom in her house at 2 am. This is the first braid chopping incident reported from the border town of Uri.
According to the reports, the victim girl identified as Shaista Karim, 18, daughter of Abdul Karim hails from the Bandi area of the township.
According to the witnesses, the victim along with her mother was sleeping in a room at the ground floor of their under construction house.
They said that the hair of the victim was chopped when she went to the washroom at 2 am.
“We rushed to the second story of the house. On the road, we noticed army vehicles were stationed. The army men yelled at us as to what had happened,” a witness said.
“When we told them that two ‘men in uniform’ had chopped off the hair of our daughter, they started their vehicles and went away.”
Meanwhile, in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal area three guests were mistaken as braid choppers on Tuesday evening. The reports said that three guests were thrashed by locals after mistaking them as braid-choppers in Shallabugh area of Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.
An official said that three persons were heading towards Ganderbal after touring health resort of Gulmarg when they were stopped by people who suspected them as braid-choppers.
The car they were travelling in was completely damaged, he said.
The official said that all the three were guests of Ajaz Shah, a resident of Duderhama Ganderbal.
Later, police reached the spot and took the three persons in their custody.
“On their return journey from Gulmarg via Shadipora, they were stopped by people near Shallabug and beaten ruthlessly after being suspected as braid choppers. The victims were rescued and given medical aid,” he said.
Police have taken cognizance of the incident. “A case of rumour mongering has been registered in this regard,” he said.
Meanwhile, protests erupted across Kashmir against the braid chopping incidents. Reports said that residents of Batamaloo area staged a protest against the alleged inaction of police against braid choppers following a fresh attack in the locality early this morning, police sources said.
They said the protestors turned violent when they were asked to disperse by police and started pelting stones.
Police used force to disperse the protestors, the reports added.
While the police have formed special investigation teams, they have not been able to catch any of the culprits even as the number of attacks has crossed 60 across Kashmir Valley.
KV Correspondent
