Teenager killing case: BSF commandant arrested

Senior BSF officer R. K. Birdi, suspended in connection with the killing of a teenager here last month, was today handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Birdi was handed over to Superintendent of Police (city-east) and is lodged in Khotibagh police station, police sources said.

Birdi’s name surfaced in the case after the arrest of BSF jawan Lakhvinder Kumar, who was handed over to police after internal investigation by the paramilitary force claimed that his service rifle was used to kill 16-year-old Zahid Farooq on February 5, an incident which triggered massive protests in the valley.

Zahid was killed at Brein-Nishat after he along with his friends had entered into an altercation with BSF personnel who were on their way to Shalimar for a medical check-up.

Though Kumar was arrested, eyewitnesses and the probe claimed that it was at the insistence of the commandant that the BSF Jawan had fired at the boy.

Two BSF jawans - Dhananjay Gori and Ram Singh who were part of the team - had recoded their statement before a magistrate supporting the claims of Kumar that the commandant had even cocked the gun and ordered firing at the boy.

Police have seized the weapon that was used to kill the boy and three vehicles used by the personnel of the unit at the time of the incident. The weapon has been sent to ballistic experts for tests.

Forensic teams have taken samples of tyres of the three seized vehicles and matched it with those at the crime scene.

Following Kumar’s allegation, the Union Home Ministry has issued suspension order for Birdi, commandant of the 68th battalion, who has been confined to the local headquarters pending an inquiry by an officer of the rank of inspector general.

Five injured in clashes in north Kashmir

At least five persons were injured as pro-freedom protesters hurled stones at security personnel in Baramulla in north Kashmir shortly after Friday prayers prompting them to use force to restore order.

Groups of youth, chanting pro-freedom slogans took to the streets in Baramulla town, 55 kms from here and indulged in stone-pelting on police and CRPF personnel, official sources said.

Police fired a few warning shots, burst dozens of teargas shells and used batons to restore order.

Five persons were injured so far in the clashes which were going on at different places in Baramulla, they said, adding, reinforcements have been rushed to the area to tackle the situation.

Meanwhile, Jamia Masjid area in downtown Srinagar remained peaceful although shopkeepers in the area observed a shutdown after police picked up two more youths late this afternoon.

Violent protests have become a regular feature in the localities around Jamia Masjid on Fridays and Sundays over the past two years, but this time police launched a massive crackdown to check stone-pelting incidents, detaining hundreds of youths since the beginning of this month.

Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength in sensitive localities including Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Gojwara and Kawdara, the trouble spots in the old city where shopkeepers pulled shutters to protest the arrest of the youths, the sources said.

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

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.