Kathua Rape-n- Murder: Dozens wounded in violent clashes in Kashmir

Srinagar: Student protests against Kathua rape and murder incident continue to rock Kashmir Valley even as authorities had ordered closure of some colleges but at different places clashes between students and government forces turned violent particularly in South Kashmir’s Pulwama and Anantnag districts.
In Pulwama alone five youth suffered pellet injuries while in Anantnag over dozen students, mostly females were wounded.
Reports said that a large number of students from Degree College and Boys Higher Secondary School in South Kashmir’s Pulwama town hit to roads and carried out a march among intense sloganeering.
The students including females raised pro-Hizb, pro-Zakir Musa slogans and waved Pak flags outside Police Station Pulwama.
As the government forces prevented them from moving towards main town, the agitated students pelted stones while in retaliation Forces resorted to intense tear gas shelling. Witnesses said as the students didn’t budge, the Forces fired couple of rounds in air, creating panic in the town.
The shopkeepers closed their shops and within minutes the town turned into a battle ground.
Hospital sources said that over a dozen youth suffered injuries in which five received pellets in their eyes.
Reports from Islamic University of Sciences and Technology Awantipora said that clashes turned violent when students clashed with government forces.
Reports said that over a dozen student and two police officers were injured after protests over Kathua rape-and-murder case turned violent outside IUST.
The student hit to Srinagar-Jammu highway raising pro-freedom and anti-BJP slogans.
As the police tried to push protesting students back to Varsity, the students according to a police official resorted to massive stone-pelting which left at least two officers including SDPO and SHO Awantipora wounded. They were shifted to hospital for treatment.
The students alleged that the police men barged inside the varsity and damaged the vehicles parked inside.Following the clashes, IUST management suspended the class work.
At least six students were injured during clashes in Tral town of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Both male and female students from Degree College Tral carried out a march in the town. Police swung into action and when they tried to disperse them, the students resorted to stone-pelting. Students alleged that government lobbed tear-smoke shells inside the college as a result couple of female students fainted. Reports said that six students were injured who were shifted to local hospital.
At least 15 students were injured as protests over justice for minor Kathua girl turned violent in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district..
Reports said that students carrying banners assembled at KP road and took out a protest march seeking justice for Asia.
Soon clashes between forces and students erupted leading to the closure of shops and other business establishments in the town. Police used tear gas shells and baton charged the protesting students, leading to injuries to 15 of them, they said.
Reports from Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal said that students of Degree College boycotted their classes and staged a Protest against gruesome Kathua rape and murder incident.
The students assembled in the premises of the college and held protests, demanding death to the culprits.
Chanting slogans to demand hanging of the culprits, the students came out of the college premises and staged a sit-in on Ganderbal-Shalbigh road.
Police swung into action and chased away protesting students who retaliated with stones. The clashes between police and students disrupted vehicular movement for hours.
Students hold a protest in Magam area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district. Reports said that hundreds of student took to roads and chanted pro-freedom and pro-Asifa slogans. A couple of student pelted stones on deployed forces, however, police exercised restraint and didn’t retaliate.
Government Forces resorted to aerial firing and lobbed tear smoke shells to disperse agitated students who were protesting against the murder and rape of Kathua little girl Asifa.
Clashes also erupt in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district where students pelted stones on deployed forces. Reports said that students from Government Degree College, Girls Higher Secondary School and ITI Kulgam hit to roads demanding justice for 8 year old girl Asifa. Police stopped them from proceeding towards main town. The agitated students pelted stones while Forces lobbed tear-smoke shells to disperse them.
Reports from North Kashmir’s Bandipora district said that a large number of students from Degree College and Higher Secondary School Sumbal carried out a march seeking capital punishment for rapists and stringent action against those who defend them.
The protesting students amid anti-Lal Singh slogans blocked traffic for hours near Sumbal Bridge. Eyewitnesses said that an army convoy that got stuck in traffic jam while some of the soldiers alighted from a vehicle and fired some rounds in the air. The gun shots created panic in the area.
When contacted, a police official denied the reports that army fired any shot in air. Meanwhile, a police officer was wounded in clashes with youth in Bandipora town. Clashes also erupt in Handwara where students staged protest against gruesome Kathua rape and murder incident.