E-Paper
29 days on, Shopian still tense over rape
For the past 29 days Shopian has been on strike and protesting against the rape and murder of 17-year-old Asiya Jan and 22-year-old Nelofar. The two were found dead under mysterious circumstances in Shopian on May 30, reports Ashiq Hussain.
Curfew-like restrictions were put in place in Shopian to prevent people from protesting against police firing on Friday evening.
“Police and paramilitary forces are not allowing us to move out. We are stuck at our homes since morning,” Shakur Ahmad, a resident, told HT over phone.
For the past 29 days Shopian has been on strike and protesting against the rape and murder of 17-year-old Asiya Jan and 22-year-old Nelofar. The two were found dead under mysterious circumstances in Shopian on May 30.
At least 5 protesters were wounded in police firing on Friday evening at Shirmal, 2 km from Shopian, when a group of people tried to participate in a separatist-sponsored strike. Police said they had to fire under “extreme provocation”.
In Sopore, situation was tense after Friday’s teargas shelling and “firing” by police on protesters left at least a dozen injured. People alleged that after evening prayers police fired on a procession that was demonstrating in response to a Hurriyat-sponsored strike call.
“They fired on people and beat even women folk. Today’s protests are a manifestation of that anger,” said Altaf Meraj, a resident of Sopore, over phone.
Additional Superintendent of Police BS Tuti, however, denied that they fired on the protesters. “We just fired teargas shells to disperse a mob,” he told HT.
