Srinagar—Twelve police companies have been sought
from Jammu on an emergency basis to maintain law and order in
Baramulla, even as dozens were injured in the two major north
Kashmir townships as police used rubber bullets to break up
curfew-defying demonstrations.
The Shopian town in south Kashmir remained shut down for the 33rd
day after the double rape and murder there over a month ago, and
protest demonstrations against the outrage continued unabated.
Curfew continued in Sopore and Baramulla after the killing of four
youth in three days in the latter town, but groups of demonstrators
defied restrictions in a number of places to attack the police with
stones.
Furious stone-pelting by angry crowds forced the police to pull back
near the Cement Bridge in Baramulla several times, and the latter
resorted to firing rubber bullets when cane-charges and tear gas
failed to break up the violent groups.
At least one protestor, identified as Muddassir Ahmad Sheikh, was
seriously injured in the police action and had to be admitted to
hospital for treatment.
Clashes were reported from some other parts of the town as well.
The police is learnt to have assumed total responsibility of
maintaining law and order in Baramulla where the CRPF killed four
youth in firing in a span of three days.
To meet the manpower needs in the town, twelve police companies have
been sought from Jammu and deployed in restive Baramulla.—SANA
