Baramulla/Srinagar, Apr 23: Around seventy students were detained by police during violent clashes in Baramulla town on Monday when students protesting against Khatua rape and murder pelted stones on police and paramilitary deployments.
Police arrested 70 students from Boys Higher Secondary School premises following the clashes. Senior police officials said the detained students were be released after “proper counseling”.
Witness said that scores of students of Boys Higher Secondary School Baramulla took out a protest rally demanding justice in Kathua rape and murder case. The turned ugly when students pelted stones on police deployed to maintain law and order. Police baton-charged the students and fired teargas shells to quell the protests.
Later, police went inside the premises of the Higher Secondary school and arrested the students who were pelting stones on police and public transport.
Though the authorities had closed all the exit points when students staged protest inside the premises, but protesting students managed to come out and clashed with the already deployed forces who fired tear-smoke shells on stone pelting students.
“Several students were injured in the clashes after police cane-charged them,” witnesses said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Baramulla Imtiyaz Hussain said that the detained students will be released after proper counseling.
Meanwhile, students of Sopore Law College assembled at Main Chowk Sangrama and staged a protest against the Jammu-based lawyers who tried to prevent the Crime Branch from filing charge-sheet into the Kathua rape and murder case.
The students were carrying placards to seek justice for the minor Bakarwal girl who was gang-raped and murdered in Rassana village of Kathua in January this year.
Students of the Government High School Malpora Saderkoot area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district also staged a protest demanding justice for Kathua rape and murder victim.
Witness said that the protesting students were seen holding placards in their hands, depicting different messages seeking justice for the victim.
Students of Government Girls High School Ajas also took out a protest march in solidarity with Kathua victim.
Student injured as clashes erupt in Anantnag in south Kashmir
Reports said that the students took to streets in the town today morning and staged a protest.
Meanwhile, in Anantnag a student was injured during clashes with the government forces.
Reports said that the students took to streets in the town today morning and staged a protest.
They said that soon clashes erupted in which one student was injured. He has suffered multiple pellet injuries in chest and hand.
Army resorted to aerial firing to disperse youth at Pinjura in south Kashmir’s Shopian district after their vehicle came under heavy stone pelting.
Reports said that youth hurled stones at the army vehicle in the village. In retaliation, army-men fired in the air to chase away the protesters.
In another incident, youth pelted a survey team of army with stones in Murran area of Pulwama.
Detained students released: Police
Asks parents to advice their children to shun violence
Srinagar, Apr 23: Barring five, all the students who were detained by the police during violent clashes in Baramulla today was set free later in the day, police said.
Giving details, police said today morning a group of students of Boys Higher Secondary School Baramulla instead of joining their classes disturbed the studies of other students and forced them out of the classrooms.
“Thereafter this group of students began pelting stones and bricks towards the main road from the school campus. They smashed a lot of civilian vehicles and injured some civilians as well,” police said, adding that the a group of students also attacked police party with bricks and stones injuring many policemen.
“After hectic efforts situation was brought under control and the whole group of students indulging in violence was detained,” police said.
It said all of them barring five students were subsequently released and handed over to parents after being counselled by police officers.
Parents of these five students who still continue to remain detained, have been asked to come to Police Station Baramulla tomorrow to take their wards home.
Police also said the mobile phones of all these students have been retained by police for forensic analysis.
Police also asked the parents to advice their children not to indulge in violence and concentrate on studies.
“All other schools and colleges functioned normally today. Some miscreants want colleges and schools to remain closed for their vested interests,” police said.
Meanwhile, the authorities said all colleges and schools will remain open in Baramulla Tuesday.
