One killed, 2 injured in CRPF firing in Shopian

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti with his senior party leaders being detained by hte police in Pulwama on Wednesday when they tried to go to Shopian to meet the victims' families.

A youth was killed and two others were injured in firing by security forces as fresh protests on Wednesday rocked Shopian township, where CRPF firing on Saturday had claimed four lives, official sources said.

Rafiq Ahmad Rather was killed when CRPF personnel allegedly opened fire to disperse protestors outside their camp at Gagran village, 52 km from here, they said.

A large number of people had assembled outside the camp to protest the killing of four persons, including three local youth, by CRPF troopers last Saturday.

The protestors were demanding removal of the CRPF camp and arrest of the personnel involved in the “cold blooded murders”.

At least two persons were also injured in the clashes and elsewhere in the town as security forces fired warning shots and teargas shells and used batons to restore law and order, the sources said.

Soon after the death of Rather, the protestors went on the rampage and set ablaze the official residence of a senior officer in the town, they said.

Curfew was imposed in the south Kashmir town on Sunday following widespread clashes between security forces and agitated residents after the killings. It was lifted on Wednesday morning.

However, a spontaneous strike was observed in the town with all shops and business establishments closed and transport off the roads.