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.

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“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.