One person was killed and a few others injured when security forces allegedly opened fire to disperse angry protesters in Baramulla district of North Kashmir on Monday evening.
The incident took place when locals mobbed an armoured vehicle in Baramulla town, 55 kms from here, to protest against the mysterious death of a boy who drowned in Jehlum river yesterday, police said.
The mob, which was defying curfew and prohibitory orders, started pelting stones at security personnel and also attempted to set the armoured vehicle on fire, they said.
The incident left Fayaz Ahmad Khanday (25) dead even as security forces asserted that they opened fire in the air only.
Police indicated that it could also be the handiwork of some of the terror groups, whose member could have fired from amidst the mob, that led to the unfortunate incident.
The mob took to streets after the body of Faizan Ahmad Buhroo, a class 7th student, was fished out from river Jhelum yesterday - two days after he reportedly drowned when he was fleeing from police following a clash.
The locals alleged that the boy was pushed into the river by police and sought an inquiry into the incident. However, police has denied the allegations and said investigations are on to ascertain the facts regarding the drowning of the boy.
Police said the injured were rushed to Srinagar but it was not clear how many of them were hit by bullets as the forces also resorted to tear gas shelling to bring order.
The situation is very tense and reinforcements have been rushed to the area to maintain law and order, they said.
Kashmir has been on the boil since June 11, following the killing of a teenager Tufail Ahmad Matoo allegedly in teargas shelling by police in downtown Srinagar.
Subsequent clashes in different parts led to the killing of 14 more persons, including a girl, prompting the state government to call in the Army and clamp curfew on July six.
Though curfew was lifted after nearly a week but strict restrictions continued to remain in force in the Valley following calls by separatists to observe shutdown against the killings.
Earlier during the day, authorities lifted curfew from Sopore town and restriction on movement of people across the Kashmir Valley but life continued to remain disrupted due to a week-long shutdown called by the separatists.
Meanwhile, a road mishap in Batmaloo that claimed the life of a person today snow balled into a rioting incident, with locals clashing with security personnel as a police vehicle was involved in the accident.
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 minakote 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 protesters.
The clashes between the two sides continued for several hours.
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 today.
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. PTI
