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Kashmir remained tense on Tuesday as one more youth was killed in fresh clashes between protesters and security forces in the Valley amid curfew-like restrictions imposed in view of the disquiet following the death of three civilians in firing by the army on Tuesday.
An assistant sub-inspector of the Jammu and Kashmir Police was suspended for "mishandling" of the law and order situation in north Kashmir's Handwara town where two youth and a woman were killed and four injured in firing by the army after allegations that a girl was molested by some soldiers.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is in Delhi on her maiden visit after assuming the charge, raised the matter with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who assured her that a probe will be conducted and the culprits punished.
Describing the firing incident as "very unfortunate", she said, "Such incidents should not happen in the future."
She said that the families of the victims will be compensated.
Northern Army Commander Lt General D S Hooda visited the affected area in Handwara and pushed for early completion of probe into the killing of three civilians. He termed the incident as "highly regrettable".
Meanwhile, one more youth was killed when security forces fired teargas shells to quell protesters, raising to four the toll in the clashes between protesters and security forces since Tuesday.
The youth, identified as Jehangir Ahmad Wani, died after being hit by a teargas shell in the head during protests in Drugmulla, about 95 kms from Srinagar, over Wednesday's deaths.
Wani was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, a police official said. Two others were injured in clashes with security forces.
A woman Raja Begum (55) who was injured in the firing on Tuesday, succumbed at a hospital, making the death toll to three.
Protests were on Wednesday reported from a number of other places as well even as authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions in six police station areas of Srinagar city and Handwara area of Kupwara in north Kashmir, a police official said.
He said that restrictions were imposed in Rainawari, Maharajgunj, Nowhatta, Khanyar, Safakadal and Maisuma police station areas of Srinagar as a precautionary measure in view of apprehensions of law and order problems.
However, the official said, in view of Baisakhi festival, movement of members of Sikh community was allowed.
Separatist groups had also called for a strike against the killings as a result of which most of the shops, business establishments and petrol pumps were shut in areas other than those were restrictions have been imposed.
Protests were reported from several places in the adjoining areas of Handwara including Langate where a mob set on fire the barrack of a police post.
"The barrack of the police post langate has been gutted and now the main building of the police post has caught fire," a police official said.
He said that a similar attempt to set on fire the police post at Magam, falling under Handwara police station, was made by protestors but the cops foiled the bid.
"The miscreants were chased away by the cops," the official said adding the situation across the Kupwara district continues to be tense.
Reports of shutdown were received from most of the district headquarters of the Kashmir Valley.
Public transport was off the roads while private cars, cabs and auto-rickshaws were seen plying, the official said.
The impact of the strike was accentuated in view of the Baisakhi holiday, he said.
The army has claimed that there was no molestation by any of its soldiers and to buttress its contention, it released a purported video statement given to the police by the girl in question.
"If you focus on the video released by us, it clears that there is no case of molestation. It is a malafide intent by some elements to malign the good image of the army," Defence spokesperson N N Joshi said.
"The army regrets the loss of life. The matter is being investigated. Anybody found guilty shall be dealt severely as per law," he said.
The army also issued a press release in which it said the video footage "implicated" local youth of misdemeanour.
"The truth from Handwara: the girl, purportedly molested by an army soldier, exposes the malicious intent of perpetrators. Implicates local youth of misdemeanor and false propaganda that resulted in massive protests," it said.
In the video, the girl in question purportedly says: "As we were returning from school, I went to a restroom after giving my bag to my friend. As I was returning, a school boy slapped me.... Soon many boys gathered there and he asked me to accompany him to police station."
The girl claimed that the boy started verbally abusing her. "There was no one (from the army) inside the rest room. Hilal Bhai (a family acquaintance of the girl) was also there and he slapped me. He asked what I was doing there (in rest room). I told him you know our family and our values ... However, it seemed the two of them were in league with each other," she added.
The video was released by the army on Wednesday.
With inputs from Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar.