Friday, February 5, 2010

14-year old boy shot dead by Indian paramilitaries

Troopers kill boy

Day 5: Kashmir Shut Amid Protests, Clashes

DANISH NABI



Srinagar, Feb 5: Barely five days after cops killed a 14-year boy in old city here, paramilitary BSF troopers allegedly shot dead another teenager at Kralsangri-Brain Nishat in the city outskirts here Friday.
“Sixteen-year old Zahid Farooq son of Farooq Ahmad Sheikh of Sheikh Mohalla Brain was shot in the chest by the troopers near the office of Inspector General of CRPF at Kralsangri-Brain Nishat,” witnesses told Greater Kashmir.
Locals said they rushed the injured Zahid to SK Institute of Medical Sciences Soura where the doctors declared him brought dead. “The boy was hit by a bullet in the chest but he didn’t have the exit wound. He was dead when he was brought to the hospital,” said, Deputy Medical Superintendent SKIMS.
As the word about Zahid’s death spread, massive protests broke out in Brain and adjoining areas with protesters demanding stern action against the erring BSF men.
Mourners, carrying Zahid’s body and raising slogans, tried to march towards Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence at Gupkar Road. Police and CRPF men intercepted them and resorted to heavy baton charge and fired tear-smoke canisters to disperse them. Mourners offered stiff resistance and retaliated with kangris (fire pots).
As the pitched battle continued, the ambulance carrying the victim’s body stood still there. After the protests subsided, the ambulance drove back and handed-over Zahid’s body to his family members for last rites.
The mourners, however, demanded that an FIR be registered against BSF before the victim was laid to eternal rest. They took the body to the concerned police station. The last rites of the victim had not been performed when this report was filed. The killing of comes at a time when the valley is on the boil since Sunday following the killing of Wamiq Farooq hit by a teargas shell in old city. An Assistant Sub Inspector of Police was placed under suspension for firing the shell.
Pertinently, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Muhammad Sagar, on Thursday said the government had reviewed the situation and such incidents would not recur.

OFFICIALS SPEAK
The Inspector General of Police - Kashmir zone - Farooq Ahmad said the accused hadn’t been identified yet.
“It’s a mystery whether it was BSF, CRPF or any other force involved in the killing of Zahid. We have registered a case under 302-RPC and we will investigate to find out the truth,” he said, adding the Government has ordered an independent probe into the killing.

LIFE REMAINS PARALYSED
Meanwhile, life in the summer capital remained paralysed for the fifth consecutive day, Friday as authorities imposed “undeclared curfew” in the old city and elsewhere.
Huge contingents of police and paramilitary CRPF were deployed in every nook and corner of the old city and troopers had blocked roads by erecting barricades and laying spools on concertina wires.
Strict restrictions were imposed in the inner areas of old city, including Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Gojwara, Rajouri Kadal, Naid Kadal, Gojwara, Nallahmar, Maisuma and Gaw Kadal, which witnessed massive protests and clashes against the killing of 14-year-old Wamiq Farooq Wani, hit by a teargas shell earlier this week.
Residents of these areas said the troopers didn’t allow them to offer Friday prayers in Masjids. “When we tried to move towards Masjids we were asked to stay back and pray indoors. We were restricted from offering prayers in all Masjids on the main roads,” a resident of Nowhatta, Imtiyaz Ahmad said over phone.
People said they were beaten up for moving out in the morning while the police and CRPF didn’t allow them to get the daily commodities. They said the troopers didn’t even allow the newspapers in the area.
Ding dong battles however continued throughout the day between youth and protesters at Lal Bazar, Elahi bagh and other areas in city outskirts.
Restrictions were in place also in the uptown areas mainly in Barzulla, Bemina, Natipora and Batmaloo but the private vehicles could be seen plying at quite a few places.
The troopers went berserk in Tankipora, Batmaloo and adjoining areas in the morning and broke the window panes of houses, residents told Greater Kashmir over phone. The troopers, they said, beat up several people. The vehicle of the daily Kashmir vision editor, Shafaat Kira, was also damaged by troopers.
Total Shutdown was also observed in Ganderbal and Kangan districts amid pro-freedom protests after Friday prayers at Qamariya chowk.

NORTH KASHMIR
A complete shutdown was observed in Varmul, Bandipore, Sopur, Kupwara, Handwara, and other districts and towns of north Kashmir for the fifth consecutive day amidst restrictions over the civilian movement imposed by the authorities.
Witnesses said the police and paramilitary CRPF had been deployed in strength in main town Varmul and they beat up people for moving out. Owner of the Sheikh news Agency was also beaten up for opening his shop in the morning. Mild protesters were reported from Delina Varmul and Khawaja Bagh.
Total shutdown was also observed in the apple town Sopur while the clashes took place between youth and the troopers at several places.
Complete shutdown was also observed in Kupwara, Handwara and Bandipore areas where shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic remained off the roads.

SOUTH KASHMIR
A complete shutdown was observed in major districts of south Kashmir including Islamabad, Kulgam, Pulwama for fifth running day.
Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary CRPF was maintained in all the districts amid reports of mild protests from several places. After Friday prayers youth tried to stage a protests march but it was intercepted by troopers resulting in mild clashes. Ding-dong battles were reported from Chini chowk and Reshi bazaar in the afternoon.
Mild clashes were also reported from Kulgam, Pulwama and other districts.

Another cricketer brought home dead

‘Teenage Zahid Shot In Chest’

GOWHAR BHAT


Srinagar, Feb 5: In one more incident of its kind in less than a week, another young boy who had gone to play cricket near his residence at Nishat on Friday, was bought home dead.
16-year-old, Zahid Farooq alias Shoaib of Sheikh Mohalla, Brain, Nishat, according to his friends - also eyewitness to the incident - said they offered Friday prayers in the nearby mosque and then went out to play cricket in a field on the banks of Dal Lake.
“But it started raining heavily and we sat on a parapet beneath a tree. In the meanwhile, a BSF gypsy and a lorry passing by the Boulevard Road stopped near us. The BSF troopers got down from the vehicle and came towards us. They asked us to go home as curfew was in force in the city,” Zahid’s friends, staging protests, said.
“The BSF men abused and chased us away. We started running but Zahid stayed back. Suddenly, we heard gunshots and when we looked back, we saw a BSF trooper firing at Zahid. The trooper fired three shots at him from point blank range,” said his friend with fear writ on his face.
Zahid received a bullet in his chest and he crawled several meters with blood gushing out of his body, before he fell flat on the ground. “We offered him water and in a few minutes he breathed his last,” he stammered. Zahid was shifted to SKIMS where he was declared dead on arrival.
Zahid was the only son of his parents who are now left with two daughters. His father, Farooq Ahmad Sheikh, is a government employee in the Public Health Engineering Department. He was a student of Meerak Shah School, Shalimar and had passed his matriculation examination in December last year.
“Zahid was such a loveable child and was everybody’s darling. My mind fails to fathom why he was killed and for what. There were neither any protests nor any clashes in the area,” said Javaid Ahmad, his neighbour and friend. “This is a cold-blooded murder,” he grumbled.
When Zahid’s body was bought home, many of his friends and neighbours, unable to bear the grief, fell unconscious. Zahid was a cricket freak and despite the rains he went out to play cricket. “Get up Shoaib, Get up, we have to play,” his friends shrieked as they followed the ambulance carrying home his body.
Relatives, neighbours and locals staged massive demonstrations amidst heavy rains and took his body on the Boulevard and tried to march towards CM’s residence. But a large number of police and CRPF men blocked the roads by armoured vehicles and lobbed teargas canisters to quell the funeral procession.
A youth came out of the ambulance with the hospital admission ticket in his hand and went to SSP, Srinagar, Javaid Riyaz Bedar: “Please have mercy on us. Look at this ticket; Zahid was killed by targeted fire, a bullet pierced his chest. Please stop shelling on this procession.”
Earlier this week, another teenager, Wamiq Farooq who had also gone to play cricket in the old city was bought home dead. He was hit by a teargas shell in his head when police were dealing with protesters near Gojwara.