Curfew lifted in Sopore, Valley still tense

Authorities today the curfew from Sopore town and restriction on movement of people across Kashmir Valley but life continued to remain disrupted due to a week-long shutdown called by the separatists. The situation in Batmaloo in central Srinagar was, however, tense following death of a youth in a road mishap involving a police vehicle in the locality on Monday morning.

Police said four persons travelling in a car were injured after being hit by a police vehicle. The injured were rushed to hospital, where one of them Nadeem Ahmad Mir of Zainakote area succumbed to injuries. After an hour of the mishap, people took to the streets and staged a demonstration. Police and paramilitary forces deployed in the area used batons to disperse them leading to a clash. The police fired teargas shells to disperse the stone-pelting protestors.

The clashes between the two sides were going on till noon, police said. Police said curfew, which was imposed yesterday in Sopore town of north Kashmir, along with restrictions on the movement of the public under section 144 CrPC in rest of the Valley, including 12 police station areas of Srinagar, was lifted on Monday.

However, life remained crippled in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley as shops and business markets, educational institutions, remained closed and transport off the roads, officials said. The hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference led by jailed leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had given a call for a week-long shutdown to protest killing of several youths in the past one month.

Meanwhile, the situation in Baramulla continues to be tense following clashes in the wake of a controversy over a teenager's death on Saturday. The search for the body of the teenager, who drowned in river Jhelum on Saturday, was still on, they said. Police maintained that the youth drowned in the river and denied allegations that he was chased by special operations group personnel and pushed into the river.