Police open fire to disperse mob in Srinagar

Police open fire to disperse a mob protesting the killing of a father-son duo by a police van in Srinagar.

Police on Tuesday opened fire to disperse a mob protesting the killing of a father-son duo by a police van in Mehboob Colony in Srinagar, officials said.

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Initially, police used batons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the agitated crowd but opened fire when the mob refused to budge. However, no one was injured, sources said.

The speeding police vehicle hit the motorcycle the duo was driving near Nowgam Bypass on Tuesday morning, killing Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat and seriously injuring his father Ali Mohammad Bhat, sources said.

Ali Mohammad was rushed to a nearby hospital but he succumbed to his injuries, they added.

Residents of neighbouring areas took to the streets to protest the incident and set the police vehicle ablaze. The public was agitated over the behaviour of the erring policemen who tried to flee the scene leaving the victims unattended.

The protestors took Imtiyaz's body to Bone and Joint Hospital where he worked as a nursing orderly. They then blocked the road leading to Srinagar Airport and some other areas of the city to demand arrest of the guilty police driver.

When reports last came in, protestors were standing their ground and the stalemate over the matter continued, they added.