Valley registers scores of protests, rallies, against brutal rape, massive clashes on Sgr-Bla highway, 12 youth, over 47 cops, SSB officer, dozens of civilians injured, two ambulances damaged
Srinagar, May 13: A youth was critically injured in clashes at Mirgund area on Srinagar-Baramulla highway even as rallies, protests rocked Kashmir elsewhere in the Valley, witnesses said. Dozens of protests were registered in Press Enclave Srinagar with protestors demanding stern punishment to the guilty behind the rape.
Massive protests rocked Baramulla and Kupwara district with school students, college goers, traders, civil society activists, politicians and clerics including Imams and Khateebs in unison demanded stern and exemplary punishment to the culprit behind act of raping a minor who continues to battle for her life in a hospital.
A youth sustained critical wound at Mirgund on Srinagar-Baramulla highway while as police said that more than 40 of its men also sustained injuries even as it resorted to minimum use of force, a top official said.
Reports said hundreds of youth including women hits on Highway at Mirgund blocked the road staged massive protest which halted traffic movement for several hours. Government forces spotted and fired tear gas smoke shells to disperse the protestors which triggered in violent clashes in Mirgund area of Pattan.
Meanwhile, the protesters in Chenabal Pattan today damaged two ambulances bearing No JK05 7477 and JK02BS-0717, official sources said. Students of Govt Degree College, Boys Higher Secondary School also took out peaceful rally at Iqbal market later on which triggered in clashes.
Protesters while marching towards Bus stand to Main Chowk were demanding strict action against the culprit. A girl fell unconscious when forces fired tear gas smoke shells to quell the Protestors.
Eyewitnesses said minor clashes erupted
in Sultanpora Pattan of North Kashmir Baramulla district after peaceful
protests were going on over the rape of three year old girl.
Police said that 47 of its men sustained injuries while as a SSB officer of 2nd battalion
sustained wound on his head. It said only seven youth were injured as
they exercised maximum restraint. The students of Share e Kashmir
University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) at Wadoora
Sopore in north Kashmir’s peaceful protest inside the campus against the
rape of a three-year-old girl in Sumbal area of Bandipora district in
north Kashmir.
Protest marches were held across north Kashmir’s Kupwara district including students of boys and Women’s colleges form Handwara and Kupwara Township demanding capital punishment for involved accused. Witnesses said that, the students of boys degree college Kupwara including girls and boys held a protest demonstration from college campuses towards main town Kupwara in the meanwhile security forces intercepted the protesters and tried to pacify them.
However, the protesting students started to pelt stones upon the forces leading to clashes between students and forces, forces there used tear smoke shells to disappear them.
The students of model women’s college also held a protest demonstration from their college through main town Kupwara up to DDC and SSP complex, who were later sprayed by forces to disappear from the spot. Youth from different parts of Kupwara held a peaceful protest on early Monday morning held a protest demonstration from Lolab Stand through Jamia market asking traders to shut down the business units, raising slogans in favour of Sumbal minor girl, they demanded stern punishment against the culprit.
Reports from Handwara said that, the students of government degree college Handwara also took out a protest march starting from college gate up to Main Chowk Handwara raising slogans against the accused and demanding capital punishment for the accused for raping a minor girl in Sumbal, Bandipora.
However there were no reports of clashes from Handwara, protests were held across which ended peacefully. A female student of women’s college Kupwara said that, Many rape incidents have surfaced in past but to date no one has been sentenced for their guilt.
She said that, “we only held peaceful protest but police didn’t allow you to March freely and fired tear smoke shells and spray over us despite knowing that we’re on fasts, we are only demanding justice for the Minor rape victim form Sumbal she is among us she’s our sister.”
Another girl student from Boys degree college holding a placard which reads as, “Girls are not toys, punish the culprit”, said that We are only protesting in favour of minor girl who has been brutally raped in Sumbal, culprit should be dealt with law strictly so that no such incident surfaces in near future.”
Another student from Handwara College one among the protesters said that, authorities should speed up the investigation into the incident and give accused an exemplary punishment so that people should know the consequences before indulging into any such incident.
The students across district Kupwara have demanded stern action to be taken against the accused involved in the rape of three year old girl from Sumbal, Bandipora.(KNO)