JKLF demonstrates against death sentence to Lajpat Nagar bombers

SRINAGAR - Activists of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) clashed with police Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar on Friday while staging protest against a court order that pronounced a death sentence on three convicts in connection with 1996 blast in New Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar Market.

On Thursday, a Delhi Court awarded death sentence to Mohammad Ali Bhatt , Mirza Nissar Hussain, of Jammu and Kashmir, and Mohammad Naushad, of Delhi for their role in the 1996 Lajpat Nagar blast whici killed 13 people.

The court also awarded life sentence to Javed Ahmed Khan while another accused, Farooq Khan, has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

The court, however, released their woman associate, Farida Dar, also a Kashmiri, who has spent four years in jail.

Hundreds of JKLF activists, led by its chairman Yasin Malik, took to the streets in Srinagar and headed for the city’s main business center, Lal Chowk when police stopped and detained Yasin Malik.

“Majority of people in Kashmir want the sentence of death penalty to be stopped. This decision should be changed. And as a sign of protest we are observing a strike. You can see that people are sitting inside their homes, this is a mass message,” Malik said.

“I am confident that the Indian government and the civil right activists will take a strong note of this. And the civil rights activists will also pressurize Indian government so that this verdict can be changed,” he added.

After the news of Malik’s arrest his supporters clashed with police.

Police baton charged and used tear gas shells to disperse the mob.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Government had made elaborate security arrangements across the Kashmir Valley in view of a shutdown called by both factions of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference. (ANI)