Youth demanding return of Afzal Guru's remains killed in police firing

One person was killed and two others injured when police opened fire at a stone-pelting mob in the Palhallan town of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district Monday evening. On the second anniversary of Parliament attacker Afzal Guru’s hanging, protestors were demanding that his remains be returned to his family.

A senior police officer said that a mob indulged in heavy stone pelting at a police party in the Palhallan town on the strategic Srinagar Uri highway, 40 km from Srinagar. He said the police used tear smoke and baton charges to disperse the stone pelting youth.

As the pelting intensified police had to open fire to control the situation resulting in injuries to three youth who were evacuated to capital Srinagar for specialised treatment, police sources said. However, a 24-year old youth identified as Farooq Ahmad Bhat succumbed to injuries while on way to hospital.

Condition of another youth identified as Riyaz Ahmad, who is being operated by doctors at the Soura medical institute, is stated to be critical. Another youth is undergoing treatment in the SMHS Hospital in Srinagar 

“The situation in Palhallan is very tense and more reinforcements have been rushed there to maintain law and order,” the officer said.

Kashmir valley observed a near total shutdown on the death anniversary of Guru, who was hanged in 2013 in Tihar Jail.