Iqbal Lone Ground Report Srinagar, April 25th 2011:
Killing of man triggers massive protests in north Kashmir 10 hurt in clashes; police says no one injured
At least ten persons were injured in clashes with police and para military CRPF when they were protesting against killing of a 30 year old man by unidentified gunmen in Rafiabad area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday.
Police used batons and fired teargas shells to quell protesters who were carrying the body of Muhammad Ashraf Lone in a procession. The protesters staged a sit-in on the Sopore- Ladura link road. The protests broke out after body of Ashraf, 30, of Chatipora, Rafiabad recovered by the police at Hail-Jageer in Kreeri. Lone who was a teacher at a local Madrassa, had reportedly gone missing since Thursday.
Reports said massive demonstrations were held at Chatipora and its adjoining villages in Rafiabad after the news of the killing of Ashraf spread on Monday morning.
Chanting slogans like ‘ham kya chahte azadi (We want freedom) and ‘Islam Zindabad,’ the angry protesters were demanding identification and punishment for the people involved in the killing.
Reports said as a police team from Sopore reached the spot, angry protesters hurled stones on them. Later additional reinforcements rushed to control the protests. The police, according to eyewitnesses, fired tear smoke shells after they failed to disperse the protesters with cane charge. At least ten people were injured in the clashes, reports added.
The Superintendent of Police Altaf Ahmad, Sopore, said there were no reports of injuries among the civilians and the forces. He said the protesters later on buried the dead body of Ashraf.
Farooq Ahmad Lone, uncle of the deceased told reporter that Ashraf had left home on Thursday evening to meet some people in Rangpeth Langate. “On Sunday he (Ashraf) was seen by some neighbors in Sopur. But in the evening, we received a call from police that his body has been found in Kreeri,” he said.
The Superintendent Police Baramulla, Dr Haseeb Mughal claimed that Ashraf had been killed by militants. “We have formed an investigating team to probe the killing,” he said.
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