Clashes rock Soura area after student’s arrest
Police says he is ‘wanted stone-pelter’; protestors say he is not
Srinagar, Mar 31: Massive clashes broke out between government forces and students at Soura area in the city outskirts today after a student was arrested by the police on charges of stone-pelting.
The family of Adil Ahmad Kundoo, son of Mohammad Yusuf Kundoo of Aanchar Soura, alleged that the police arrested him along with three other students from Government Higher Secondary School Soura without explaining the reason of their detention.
They alleged that police without any provocation barged into the school premises and arrested Adil and three other students.
The detention of the student, who according to police is a “wanted stone palter” sparked massive clashes in the area as the students including boys and girls hit the streets against the arrest.
Chanting pro-Pakistan and pro-Zakir Musa slogans, the protesting students blocked main road at Soura, bringing traffic movement to halt few hours.
Police fired numerous tear smoke shells and charged batons on students who resorted to stone-pelting on deployed government forces.
“He (Adil) is innocent; I will kill myself if police do not release him immediately. This is sheer hooliganism on the part of the police who arrest innocent youths under frivolous charges,” said grandmother of the detained student, who along with some girl students had blocked the main road.
She said had Adil been a stone palter, he would have been arrested way back. “Why did police arrest him today only, that too from his school? They provokes students to adopt path of violence by harassing them,” she alleged.
Some girl students who were part of protest demanded immediate release of their “classmate” who they claimed was “arrested on the basis of personal grudge”.
However, Station House Office (SHO) of Police Station Soura, Ayaz Rasool confirmed the involvement of Adil Kundoo in stone pelting saying he was wanted in many cases and was arrested today.
“He is a wanted stone-pelter and is involved in many cases related to stone throwing. He was arrested along roadside and not from the school. There many cases pending against him but today he was arrested under FIR number 29 of 2018,” the SHO told ‘Kashmir Images’.
The SHO said “those who resorted to stone pelting in the area were his accomplices, while the girl students who blocked road were Adil’s close relatives and not classmates.”
