Youth’s death sparks more clashes in tense Srinagar

SRINAGAR - The death of a youth injured in an alleged firing incident triggered fresh tension and clashes between protesters and the security forces in areas around city centre Lal Chowk Saturday.

Police said Mohammad Inayat Khan, 18, a resident of Dalgate area, succumbed to his injuries in the Soura medical institute aftere battling for life the whole night. His family members alleged Khan died in firing by the security forces during Friday evening’s clashes in Lal Chowk.

They said the injured youth was also hit by a speeding vehicle while trying to escape the trouble in the city centre.

Hundreds of people took to the streets in the area as news about the youth’s death spread Saturday morning, demanding his body be handed over to them. They also staged a sit-in outside the UN office in Sonwar area, shouting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans.

A large number of women protestors later marched to the heavily-guarded residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Gupkar Road and shouted slogans against him.

Police had a difficult time in dispersing the women protestors. The protests also spread to Lal Chowk, where angry youth clashed with the security forces.

The shopkeepers of the city centre took out a procession demanding removal of the paramilitary camp located in an erstwhile cinema hall in the main business hub of the Valley.

A complete shutdown was observed in Lal Chowk for the fourth day Saturday. A hotel building was gutted during the 23-hour long siege this week in Lal Chowk which began as two “fidayeen” attacked the paramilitary camp with grenades and gunfire and later fought a pitched gunfight with security forces after entering the hotel.

The body of the youth was handed over to the relatives by police Saturday evening and hundreds of people shouting pro-freedom slogans joined the funeral procession to a graveyard at Dalgate.