Protest in Pulwama against detention of students

Pulwama/May,23: Students thrashed a cop and set his bike on fire after they clashed with police in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday.
Reports from the town said that the class work of Mehjoor Memorial Higher Secondary School was supposed to resume after a hiatus of over a week, when students in the school premises staged a massive protest and amid pro-freedom slogans demanded immediate release of their colleagues.
Witnesses said before the resumption of class work in the school, a group of parents approached the Principal seeking hi intervention in the release of some arrested students. School sources said that Principal flatly refused to oblige stating that his authority is confined to the four walls of the school.
Sources added that shortly after the ‘unsuccessful’ meeting of parents and Principal, a large number of students assembled in the school premises and staged protest. The protesting students were demanding release of the arrested students. Witnesses added that amid pro-freedom slogans, the protesting students came out from the school and marched towards Rajpora Chowk where they chanted slogans and demanded release of their colleagues.
“We are being treated like released militants. Every day the released students from detention are being directed to ensure their presence at Police Station in the morning. From Police Station the students are asked to enrol themselves at Tehsil Office Pulwama. Government Forces have made the lives of students’ hell since April 15- the day when over 50 students were wounded in police action.
Reports said that clashes erupted between students and police after deployed forces personnel were attacked with stones. Government Forces according to witnesses used tear-smoke shells and pellets to disperse the protesting students. The clashes created panic in the town while shopkeepers lowered their shutters.
Amid clashes, a couple of students stopped the motor-cycle of an SOG man and set it on fire. Witnesses said that SOG man was in plain clothes. The students checked his identity card and sprinkled petrol on his motor cycle. Witnesses added that students thrashed the cop severely and even tore his clothes.
A police official while identifying the cop as Bilal Ahmed Wani said that the bike was completely damaged in the attack and the cop was manhandled by the protesting students.