Indefinite curfew in Baramulla after violence

The curfew was imposed in the town, 55 kms from here, this afternoon after securitymen opened fire to quell a mob protesting against local policemen who allegedly misbehaved with a woman in a police station last evening, official sources said.

A 20-year-old was killed and three persons critically injured in the police firing.

The sources said police opened fire after teargas shelling and baton charge failed to disperse hundreds of violent protestors.

"Curfew has been imposed in the town to maintain law and order," Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Latif-u-Zaman Deva said.

"We are monitoring the situation which is very tense," he said.

The trouble erupted in the town last evening when angry groups of youth indulged in stone pelting after a woman came out of the local police station and alleged that the cops misbehaved with her.

However, police denied the woman's charge and said her husband Mohammad Yousuf Bhat was picked up for questioning in connection with the abduction of a teenaged girl by the woman's brother.

"The woman came to the police station and sought release of her husband. She threatened to end her life when police asked her politely to leave the police station and produce her brother," a police spokesman said adding the woman left the police station and made allegations against the police.

The locals then indulged in stone-pelting at the police station.

The situation took a turn for the worse this morning when people took to the streets again and indulged in stone-pelting demanding action against the police personnel who allegedly misbehaved with the woman, the sources said.

The clash left six persons, including Station House Officer of the local police station Mohammad Abdullah injured.

As the protestors gained strength and continued stone pelting, police opened fire resulting in the death of Mohammad Saleem Wani.

They said three others identified as Amir Rashid, Javid Ahmad and Tariq Ahmad Malik were also hit by bullets and were brought to different hospitals here.

The condition of all the three injured was stated to be "critical", official sources said, adding while Rashid and Ahmad were undergoing treatment at Soura Medical Institute for head injuries, Malik was admitted in SMHS hospital.

The death of Wani in police firing spread like wild fire and thousands of people assembled at his residence and later took out a procession.

Carrying the body of the deceased, the procession was heading towards the Deputy Commissioner's office when police announced imposition of indefinite curfew through the public address system, the sources said