Srinagar: Barring minor incidents of stone pelting, an uneasy calm prevailed today across Kashmir following imposition of indefinite curfew in Srinagar city and six other towns of the Valley in view of several incidents of arson and violence yesterday. The decision to clamp curfew in the city and other parts of the Valley was taken after a high-level meeting of civil and security forces officials here last night, official sources said.
Besides the entire Srinagar city, curfew was also imposed in south Kashmir towns of Anantnag, Bijbehara Pulwama, Kakapora and Sopore and Baramulla towns in the north, the sources said. Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered a case against Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference, for allegedly inciting violence during a protest rally here.
The Mirwaiz has been been charged under various sections of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), including 121 (waging war against the state), 153 (wantonly giving provocation to cause riots) and 148 (armed with deadly weapons). Police had also blamed activists of hard line faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Muslim league headed by underground separatist leader Masrat Alam Bhat for the violence as part of a pre-planned conspiracy to disrupt Eid celebrations. Despite curfew, some youths today pelted stones on a Police Post at PothKhah in Sopore town, 55 kms from here.
"The miscreants were chased away by the police by using batons. The situation in the area is now under control," a police spokesman said adding no one was injured in the incident.
Stone pelting incidents were also reported from Boatman Colony in Bemina area, Solina, Soura in the city and Azadgunj in Baramulla town. A mob pelted stones at a security forces patrol along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at Lethpora in Awantipora area of Pulwama district. The spokesman said barring these incidents, the law and order situation was under control in the Valley. Rampaging mobs yesterday set on fire some public properties, including the Crime Branch office and a police guard post in Hazratbal shrine as violence marred Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations in Srinagar city. Soon after a protest rally was organised by separatist leaders at Lal Chowk, a group of youths barged into the office of Chief Engineer, Power Development Department (PDD) near Exhibition Crossing in Srinagar and set it afire. The adjacent building housing the Crime Branch office was also engulfed in flames within no time and the blaze spread rapidly as the building is mostly made of wood. PTI
