Srinagar: A couple of braid cutting incidents were reported from South and Central Kashmir on Friday, leading to protests and fear-psychosis among people.
More than two dozen braid chopping incidents have occurred from past one month in South, Central and North Kashmir. Southern part is the most affected one, where in Kulgam district alone over a dozen such inscrutable incidents have taken place in less than two weeks.
Eyewitnesses said an elderly woman who was on morning walk became the first victim of the day when two unknown persons riding on a bike stopped her and sprayed some chemical on her face as a result she lost her conscience. The unidentified culprits chopped off her braid and fled from the spot.
The incident occurred near Dharmbugh Kralpora in the outskirts of Srinagar city. The incident created panic in the area while people hit to roads and staged a massive protest, demanding the arrest of these criminals.
Reports from Wanpouh Anantnag in South Kashmir said that people blocked Srinagar-Jammu highway for hours together after a fresh braid cutting incident. Hundreds of people hit to highway and blocked traffic, forcing District Magistrate Anantnag to rush to the spot. The District Magistrate assured protesters of swift action and sought their cooperation.
At Nai Basti Anantang, Insha Amin (18) was hospitalized after an unidentified man entered into her room and chopped off her braid. The girl, who along with her father lives in a rented room was alone at the time of incident. The incident sparked spontaneous shutdown in the area while people accused police of shielding the criminals.
Earlier on Thursday night, people caught hold of a suspect and thrashed him at Shirpora area of Anantang district after they found a scissor in his pocket. People took him as braid chopper, however, police identified him as Gowhar Ahmed of Budgam- a notorious pick-pocket.
Reacting over the increasing incidents of braid chopping, District Magistrate Kulgam Talat Parvez said that SIT has been looking at different aspects and hopefully the mystery will be resolved. “Some people are blaming agencies while some feel that it is the job of some miscreants. We have shared some inputs with the Inspector General of Police and have activated village level committees. People are alert and from past one day, no such incident has occurred in Kulgam district,” he said.
In view of the braid chopping incidents reported in the district, Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, Muhammad Younis Malik also called an emergency meeting of the magistrates, police officers and civil society members to discuss the measures that need to be taken up to tackle the situation and to bring the culprits to book.
The meeting was attended by Additional SP, SDMs of Pahalgam and Dooru, Tehsildars, Naib Tehsildars and other concerned officers.
The DC directed all the magistrates to ensure their presence at their respective headquarters and ensure that subordinates also do not leave their stations without proper permission. Besides, he directed all the magistrates to activate the Village Level Committees so that routine vigil is maintained to check such incidents.
Meanwhile, the SDMs were directed to call a meeting of the officers of their respective jurisdictions aiming at mobilization of field staff for checking the occurrence of such incidents.
The magistrates and the police officials were directed to coordinate with each other and to share the information so that culprits are apprehended at the earliest.
The DC also sought the cooperation of the civil society and local Auqaf Committees and general public to nab the perpetrators. People have been advised to contact the already publicized contact numbers in case of any help.
Meanwhile Hurriyat (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani has expressed his deep concern over the increasing lawlessness, harassment, bullying by forces personnel and incidents of braid chopping and while suspecting the involvement of government forces, said that in a highly militarised zone and in presence of CRPF, BSF, STF and police, the culprits go unnoticed.
The silence and incapability speaks volumes about the grave situations and is highly condemnable that despite attacks on modesty of women folk by these mysterious elements, the authorities are not ashamed of their failure.
In a statement issued here on Friday Geelani while referring to similar type of events that haunted people in past Geelani said that authorities while creating scare set ablaze properties and localities during dead of night and even people were harassed by creating false impression of ghosts, however all these evil designs failed and were exposed by people, Geelani added.
Braid chopping is quite unacceptable offence and an attack on women modesty, said Geelani and added that keeping in mind the criminal silence maintained by police, people should act accordingly and expose and unveil agencies involved in this heinous crime.
