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Police to Replace CRPF in North Kashmir, Murder Case Against Soldier

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, June 30: After the killing of one more protestor in a paramilitary firing in North Kashmir, the authorities on Tuesday evening registered a murder case against a paramilitary soldier and decided to replace paramilitary soldiers in North Kashmir.

On Tuesday, a 26-year old labourer, Fayaz Ahmad Gojri was killed when paramilitary soldiers fired towards unarmed protestors at Khanpora, Baramulla in North Kashmir.

People were protesting against the alleged misbehaviour of Indian policemen with a woman.

At Old Town Baramulla, the police and paramilitary fired dozens of tear smoke shells and resorted to a heavy baton charge to disperse the people, who were demanding action against the soldiers involved in yesterday's firing in which two youth were killed.

The protestors retaliated by hurling stones and bricks towards the cops, who in turn fired bullets to quell the demonstration. At least seven persons including a 14-year old boy were injured in the action. The boy, identified as Bilal Ahmad received a bullet injury on his head and has been hospitalised. The doctors attending him at Kashmir's leading hospital (SK Institute of Medical Sciences Soura) have termed his condition as "life threatening".

The killing of the protestor sparked fresh protests across Kashmir. The clashes between police and protestors continued until late evening, injuring dozens of persons, including some policemen.

Meanwhile, an official spokesman said here this evening that a case of murder has been registered against CRPF personnel, who had reportedly fired without provocation at Khanpora, Baramulla this evening as a result of which one person died.

The spokesman said that the CRPF authorities have been asked to handover the CRPF personnel to Baramulla Police against whom a murder case has been registered for arrest and investigation.

A police spokesman said it has been decided to replace CRPF deployments in Baramulla with J&K Armed Police, effective immediately.

He said, "It was also decided to take cognizance against the personnel of the deployments involved in the firing incident at Khanpora Baramulla in which one protestor was killed".

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.