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As tension prevailed in Kashmir on the fourth day, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday sought to douse the flames by visiting families of those killed since Tuesday in firing by security forces and assured them of justice amid her assertion that such incidents are “unacceptable”.
Mehbooba reached out to the families of the victims in the hour of grief even as curfew-like restrictions continued in certain parts of Kashmir and mobile internet services were snapped throughout the Valley.
Meanwhile, mother of the 16-year-old girl, whose alleged molestation on Tuesday triggered the cycle of violence in Kashmir, claimed that her daughter was pressurised into giving a video statement denying she was molested and has approached court seeking an independent probe into the incident.
“We do not want police or army, those who have done this, to inquire it,” she said.
As tension persisted, Mehbooba visited and consoled the family of 18-year-old Arif Hussain Dar who was killed on Friday when army opened fire to disperse stone-pelting mobs outside a camp in Nathnusa area of Kupwara, 100 kilometre from Srinagar.
She visited families of other deceased also.
Five people have died since Tuesday in firing by security forces on protesters who were agitating against alleged molestation in Handwara town of Kupwara district.
“The chief minister met the kin of the victims who were killed since Tuesday in the district. She expressed solidarity with them and assured them that inquiry will be conducted and justice done,” said an official who was present.
Mehbooba flew to Kupwara to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. She also chaired a meeting of local officers which was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, Minister for Rural Development Abdul Haq Khan, MLA Handwara Sajad Lone, Chief Secretary B R Sharma, DGP K Rajendra Kumar and a senior army officer.
She made it clear that no civilian should be harmed while security forces deal with law-and-order situations.
She said she had a telephonic conversation with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar late Friday evening and also met Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D S Hooda and told them that incidents like the ones at Handwara and Nathnusa are “unacceptable” and come as a major setback to the efforts of the state government in consolidating peace dividends in the state.
“I have told Gen Hooda to exercise maximum restraint while dealing with law-and-order situations,” she said, adding the defence minister has assured her of a time-bound investigation into the unfortunate incidents that led to the death of civilians during protests at Handwara and Natnusa.
While interacting with the members of the civil society, the chief minister sought their cooperation in restoring peace and normalcy in the frontier district.
The chief minister said she wanted to be with the people at this hour, grasp the sequence of events that led to the circle of violence and the action taken by the law-enforcing authorities.
Mehbooba said she was deeply saddened by the series of unfortunate events which led to the death of four young boys and an old woman.
“I never dreamt of coming to Kupwara like this after taking over as the chief minister. It is most unfortunate,” she said.
While being briefed about the prevailing situation, Mehbooba said the Standard Operating Procedure should not remain a mere word but become a potent tool while dealing with law-and-order situations.
Meanwhile, strict restrictions were imposed in some areas in north Kashmir, including Kupwara and Handwara towns, to maintain law and order, a police official said.
He said restrictions also continued in some police station areas of Srinagar city as a precautionary measure. The affected police station areas include Maharajgunj, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Rainawari, Safakadal and Maisuma, he said.
The restrictions were imposed following death of three persons during protests against alleged molestation of a girl by a soldier in Handwara town on Tuesday.
Another youth was killed in Drugmulla area of Kupwara during protests against the Handwara incident a day after. In the fresh spate of violence on Friday, Dar was killed.
Mobile internet services were completely snapped in the Valley to curb rumour-mongering, the official said.
Concerned over the situation, the Centre on Saturday decided to rush 3,600 additional paramilitary personnel to the Valley and asked the state government to ensure that there is no further loss of lives.
The strike called by separatist groups also affected life in the Valley, with shops, business establishments, private educational institutions and petrol pumps in most district headquarters remaining shut.
Police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force were deployed in strength in sensitive areas to foil any attempt to hold protests.
Most of the separatist leaders have either been arrested or kept under house arrest.
KashmirUniversity has postponed all examinations scheduled for Saturday. A spokesman of the varsity said fresh dates for these examinations would be notified later.
The mother of the girl in question alleged that police detained her daughter without informing the family and revealed her identity by recording the video statement without covering her face.
“My girl is just 16 years old and was alone in the police station when her statement was recorded. She was pressurised by police to give that statement,” claimed her mother with her face covered.
A civil society group scheduled a press conference for the family but it was not allowed by police.
“When the girl was returning home after school on Tuesday, she went to a bathroom and was followed by an army man. When she saw the army man in the bathroom, she raised an alarm, attracting attention of the nearby shopkeepers. The policemen also came to the scene but the army man fled,” the woman said.
“She was then taken to a police station without our knowledge,” the mother said.
“We have approached the court and demanded an independent inquiry into the incident. We do not want police or army, those who have done this, to inquire it,” she said.
“We are not allowed to meet our girl. Her father and aunt were also detained. We do not have any information of our arrested daughter for the last five days,” she alleged and accused the police of “defaming” her daughter by revealing her identity to the media.
Ruling Peoples Democratic Party said there seems to be a deliberate and sinister attempt by vested interests to destabilise and subvert the local economy by fuelling violence.
PDP youth president Waheed Para, who was advisor to former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said all right-thinking people must close their ranks to prevent such vested interests from carrying out their nefarious designs.
“We as Kashmiris have to ponder over the pattern of similar violent incidents that have always take place in almost in an akin manner whenever a new government assumes office in the state and at the onset of the tourist season in Kashmir,” the PDP leader said in a statement.
Para has been at the centre of a controversy as he reportedly blamed the youth for attacking an army camp that led to death of one person and injuries to three others in Nathnusa area of Kupwara on Friday.
Para, however, denied the statement attributed to him.
“I only said that nothing could justify killing of civilians and we should expect justice to the families as the army has already ordered a probe which needs to be taken to the logical conclusion to restore people’s confidence,” he said.
Image: Curfew-like restrictions have been imposed and mobile internet services have been cut off in the area after the protests. Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com