The Kashmir Valley appeared teetering on the brink of another bout of volatility as a 15-year-old school student, Sohail Ahmad Sofi, was shot dead by the police on Saturday during violence in Narbal, Budgam district.
Eyewitnesses said that despite the call for a State-wide shutdown over the arrest of separatist leader Masarat Alam, the area was peaceful. Three or four boys started throwing stones at the police, who then opened fire.
The first killing of a civilian by the police since it came to power six weeks ago may test the endurance of the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government. Mindful of the brewing agitation, the government acted swiftly to arrest two policemen. A magisterial investigation has been ordered.
Escalating tensions is bound to shake the political base of Mr. Sayeed, but he is getting full backing from the BJP ally of his Peoples Democratic Party, and the Union government.
The killing of the Class 10 student comes four days after Khalid Muzaffar, 24, was killed by the Army in an alleged gun battle in south Kashmir.
Protesters who poured into the streets on Saturday could be back on Sunday. If a perception gains ground in the valley that Mr. Sayeed’s promise of “zero tolerance” to human rights violations cannot be kept, he will be pushed to the wall.
The alliance with the PDP had triggered some discordant notes in the BJP, but the party national executive closed ranks on the issue at its recent meeting in Bengaluru earlier this month.
“The BJP-PDP alliance government in the State is not there to provide space for pro-Pakistan politics in the State. The State police are taking tough action against those who indulge in anti-India activities as per law,” BJP general secretary Ram Madhav told The Hindu in Delhi.
Eyewitnesses to Sofi’s killing told The Hindu the he was dressed in school uniform — grey pants and white shirt — when personnel from the Magam police station shot him on the street and injured four others. One of the injured, doctors say, is in a critical state with damage to vital organs.
“Things were quiet here till the police came in the morning; till then, the market was open and some vehicles were also plying despite the call for a shutdown,” Shakeel Ahmad, Sofi’s cousin, told The Hindu.
“Everyone ran off in surprise when the police opened fire, and Sofi and I were running together when he fell down on the street. I pulled him by his arm; even he did not know that he had been shot.” Sofi fell down again after running a few steps and was left behind sprawled on the street.
The police first blamed the CRPF, but later said they had found two of their men — assistant sub-inspector Manzoor Ahmad and constable Javaid Ahmad — had violated the standard operations procedure.
The police said the bullet that killed Sofi had been fired from Javaid Ahmad’s service rifle.
