Curfew relaxed in Zanskar

Curfew was relaxed in in Kargil’s Buddhist-majority area of Zanskar and no violenece was reported. HT reports.

Curfew was relaxed in in Kargil’s Buddhist-majority area of Zanskar and no violenece was reported.

HT Image

“The curfew was relaxed for six-hour on Monday. And even after the timing was over, people were allowed to move and no strict restrictions were imposed though additional deployment of security was made there,” said SP Kargil Sujit Kumar.

The authorities decided to relax the curfew as it is tourist season in Zanskar which usually attracts many foreigners.

The curfew was imposed on Saturday following large scale violence over the alleged abduction of a girl by a Muslim man.

Trouble had been brewing since the 18-year-old went missing on July 17. But things came to a head on Saturday, when the police were to bring her back to Padum town, after she was traced in Srinagar.

Demanding that the girl be immediately handed over to her parents, Buddhists gathered outside the town.

As the police team bringing her changed route and took her to the magistrate, an altercation began between the local police and the protesters.

The protestors started throwing stones, injuring three police personnel, and set two police vehicles on fire. Curfew was declared in the area.