Five policemen among 35 injured as clashes erupt over boy’s death

Kashmiri Muslims pray by the body of Wamiq Farooq during his funeral procession in Srinagar. Photo: Nissar Ahmad

At least 35 persons, including five policemen, were injured on Monday as irate mobs protesting the death of a boy hurled stones at police stations in parts of the city, prompting security personnel to fire in the air and burst teargas shells.

The clashes between groups of youth, agitating over the death of 16-year-old Wanik Farooq here last evening and the security forces erupted this morning and intensified further after the burial of the deceased at martyrs’ graveyard even as a sub-inspector was suspended in connection with the incident, official sources said.

Police fired warning shots and burst teargas shells at nearly two dozen places, mostly in interior city, to restore order, they said, adding that the confrontations were continuing at several places including Maisuma and Jamia Masjid areas when last reports came in and so far 35 persons including five policemen were injured.

The warning shots were fired at Safakadal and Nowhatta after the angry mobs attacked the local police stations with stones, but no one was hurt in the aerial firing, they said.

Wanik, a resident of Rainawari locality of interior city, was allegedly hit by a teargas shell in the head at Rajouri Kadal during a clash between police and a mob last evening and later succumbed to his injuries at Soura Media Institute.

Taking strong note of the killing of the boy, the police placed under suspension the assistant sub-inspector, who fired the shell, for acting in a “negligent and careless” manner and ordered an inquiry into the incident.