A day after it was reported that police in Kupwara have arrested and booked eleven boys including juveniles for attempt to murder, a court in Kupwara ordered their release on bail.
The development followed intervention of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti took serious note of these arrests, highly placed sources said here.
On Monday, it was reported that three juveniles and eight other youths were arrested by police and booked under various sections of RPC including 307 (attempt to murder). The youths were allegedly involved in stone-pelting on forces in the Kupwara in wake of pro-freedom protests last week.
Highly placed source revealed to news agency GNS that the Chief Minister took note of these arrests, particularly of juveniles and subsequently the arrested youths were today produced in Kupwara Court where they were bailed out. The three juveniles released today on bail include Waseem Malik of Gulshan Qasmia Colony Drugmulla, Danish Hussain Mir Peerzada and Mohammad Aslam Mir, both residents of Muqam-e-Shahwali.
Furthermore, Ghulam Mohammad Mir of Muqam-i-Shahwali, Mohammad Salam Sheikh of Brambri, Mir Aubaid of Gund Gushi, Javid Chopan of Kunanposhpora, Showkat Payer of Sohipora, Reyaz Sheikh of Kunan Poshpora, Anees Khan of Mochipora, Handwara and Faizan Malik of Kupwara were also released on bail. All these youths including juveniles were booked under FIR number 149/2016 under sections 148, 149, 336, 427, 307 and 3PD Act.
It is pertinent to mention here that Chief Minister on Monday had directed Home Department to expedite review of cases registered in stone-pelting incidents.
Though the family members of the youths except those of juveniles expressed satisfaction over their release and thanked Chief Minister. The parents of the remaining youth said that they apprehend that their sons might be re-arrested again as the charges including ‘attempt to murder’ still stand against them.
“We are highly thankful to Chief Minister but we appeal her to withdraw all these charges against our sons so that they won’t face any kind of problem in near future,” the parents said.
The families of these youths also thanked print media of the Valley for highlighting the issue. “It was only because of media that our pleas reached higher ups and the Chief Minister intervened and got our sons bailed out. We are thankful to them as well,” they added.
Meanwhile, 14 other youths who were also arrested in last month or so have also been released. With this, a total of 25 youths have been released.