Thursday 17 November 2016

Kashmir Day 132: Elderly man hit by tear gas killed

Day 132: Elderly man hit by tear gas shell succumbs
Published at November 17, 2016 08:26:

Large number of people attend his funeral prayers, protests in Soura

• Panchayat ghar, school building torched
• 2 persons involved in burning, ransacking of schools in Budgam arrested: Police


Mir Liyaqat Ali Srinagar, Nov 17:

 An elderly man of Illahi Bagh Soura, who had sustained head injury after being hit by a tear gas shell on November 2, succumbed to injuries on Thursday.

The shutdown remained in force in Valley for the 132nd day today while a government panchayat ghar and government schools were torched by unknown persons and police claimed to have arrested to persons involved in torching and ransacking of schools in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
75-year-old Ghulam Muhammad Khan, who was hit by tear gas shell fired by forces in Soura area on November 2, succumbed to injuries at SKIMS, Soura today.

Khan, a former president of Secretariat Employees Union, had gone for a walk outside his home at Ellahi Bagh, Soura when hit by a tear gas shell on head.

“He had suffered severe head injury and doctors had kept him on ventilator at the SKIMS from the day one,” a doctor of the hospital said.

Family members of Khan said no protests were going on in the area when he was hit by tear gas shell fired by the forces.

The family members alleged that Khan was deliberately targeted by force personnel when he was sitting in the nearby park.

A senior police official said that FIR no. 124/2016 has been lodged into the incident and investigations taken up.

As the news about his death spread, large number of people visited his residence and participated in his funeral prayers amidst chanting of pro-freedom, pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans. He was buried at his ancestral graveyard in Ellahi Bagh, Soura.

The youth of the area staged a protest demonstration against the killing of elderly person. They clashed with the police and paramilitary personnel, who were deployed in strength in the area to foil protests. The clashes continued for some time.

With the killing of the 75-year-old Khan, the death toll of people killed in ongoing unrest in the Valley triggered by killing of 21-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 have risen to 94. Over 13,000 people have also been injured in the forces action in last more than four months in the Valley.

Meanwhile, life in Valley remained crippled for the 132nd consecutive day today due to separatists-sponsored shutdown. The shops, business establishments, educational institutions and petrol pumps remained closed while public transport was off the roads. However, private vehicles and three wheelers were plying.

The clashes erupted between youth and force personnel in Fateh Kadal of down Srinagar. The clashes continued for some time and a woman was injured after being hit by stone.
Meanwhile, unknown persons set ablaze a panchayat house in Arigam village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The fire was extinguished by the firefighters.

The single -storey Panchayat Ghar was damaged in the fire incident.

In another incident, fire broke out under suspicious circumstances at government middle school at Busarbugh in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.

“A chowkidar and some teachers present in the school at the time of the fire brought the blaze under control,” officials said, adding the fire damaged a store in the building.

They said police is investigating the cause of the fire at both the places.

Fire also damaged a shopping complex at Duderhama town in Ganderbal district yesterday, the officials said, adding cause of the fire was not known immediately.

Meanwhile, police today claimed to have arrested two miscreants namely Farooq Ahmad Malik alias Buda son of Ali Mohammad Malik and Bilal Ahmad Malik alias Durani son of Abdul Karim Malik residents of Shunglipora for setting on fire Government School at Habbar, Lassipora in Budgam.

“As the school was located away from the human habitation, the two miscreants managed some kerosene oil from their respective homes and used the same for setting the school on fire. Both of them have confessed to their guilt,” a police spokesman said.

He said the duo had also ransacked Hanfia School in the Budgam district.

“Both of them have been arrested and further investigation is going on,” added the spokesman.
In past four months of unrest in the Valley, over 32 schools have been torched by unknown persons.

(Additional inputs from PTI)

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