Protests erupt after youth killed in CRPF firing
Police says he jumped two nakas, avoided signal to stop, DC orders probe
Srinagar: A 25-year-old youth was killed at Kawoosa, Narbal on Srinagar-Gulmarg road on Wednesday when CRPF men manning a check post fired at him killing him minutes after the incident. The incident triggered massive clashes in Narbal and Beerwah area of Budgam, the native village of slain.
“At around 10:45 am, a naka party of CRPF signalled a vehicle to stop at Kawoosa in the jurisdiction of police station Magam in district Budgam, but the driver of vehicle tried to run away from the spot,” a police official said.
He said the CRPF troops fired some shots which left the vehicle driver injured.
The driver, identified as Mehrajudin, a resident of Makhana Beerwah, was rushed to SMHS hospital in the city where he succumbed to injuries, the official said.
However, locals refuted the claim saying that he was fired at without even a warning shot been fired by the paramilitary troopers.
The slain youth’s uncle who is also a cop also refuted the claims of the CRPF.
“They want to cover-up the crime. I am myself a police officer. Why won’t I stop my car? Truth is, we stopped our car and then the jawan fired upon us. Had we fled from the spot, our car would have been damaged after they fired upon us,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued here, police said that during a joint Naka at Khalisa Kawoosa, Narbal in the jurisdiction of police station Magam, a wagon-R vehicle bearing number JK02AK-6702 was signaled to stop. “However, the vehicle ignored to stop and fled away from no Naka points in suspicious condition,” the statement said. It said that the Naka opened fire at the vehicle to thwart the attempt.
“The driver of the vehicle got injured in the incident and has been identified as Mehrajuding Peer son of Ghulam Nabi Peer of Makhama, Beerwah Budgam,” the statement said.
It said that the injured was shifted to hospital for treatment, but he succumbed. “Police has registered a case and investigations taken up,” the police statement said.
Meanwhile, taking note of the incident, Deputy Commissioner Budgam Tariq Ahmed Ganai said that police have registered a case and he has ordered a probe into the incident.
Family members of slain youth alleged that their son was dragged out of the vehicle and then shot at.
“He had no fault and was dragged out of his vehicle and then killed,” alleged the father of the slain youth Ghulam Nabi Shah, while talking to reporters at Beerwah.
Meanwhile, clashes rocked Narbal and also Makhama area of Beerwah against the killing of the youth. Witnesses said that security forces fired teargas and pellets to disperse the protestors. At least six protestors sustained injuries two of them with pellets in their eyes including a girl protestor.
“Two persons with pellet injuries in their eyes were admitted at SMHS hospital,” Medical Superintendent of SMHS Dr Nazir Choudhary said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people participated in the funeral of slain youth at Makhama amid slogans demanding punishment to guilty.
After the incident, authorities snapped internet in Budgam district as a precautionary measure. (with inputs from PTI, KNO)
KV News
