Kathua rape-n-murder case: Students protest, clash with forces in Kashmir parts

Srinagar: Student protests continued in parts of Kashmir even after the closure of educational institutions in restive districts on Thursday.
Commuters faced a lot of inconvenience when students blocked road near Zainakot Mustafa Abad. The students were protesting against the Kathua rape and murder incident. Eyewitnesses said that hundreds of vehicles got stranded in Jam due to student protest.
At Gonikhan, traders organized a protest demanding capital punishment to the rapists. Protest was also organized by JK Youth Development Forum at Press Enclave Srinagar. Jammu Kashmir Students Association too staged protest denouncing Kathua rape and murder incident. They demanded action against two BJP Ministers who according to them formed Hindu Ekta Manch to support rapists.
A couple of students suffered minor injuries while police apprehended three youth at Sakidafar area of Srinagar city. Reports said that students hit roads and pelted stones on deployed forces. To disperse them, police lobbed tear-smoke shells. A police official said that situation was brought under control within shortest span of time.
Protesting students also blocked road near Delina Baramulla as a result commuters faces lot of inconvenience. Clashes also erupted in Rafiabad Sopore where students resorted to stone-pelting.
SDPO Sumbal Sheikh Tahir Amin and another cop Danish Ahmed were injured after clashes erupted between students and deployed forces at Ajas area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Reports said that students from Government Higher Secondary School Ajas took to roads and blocked Srinagar-Bandipora road. They were raising slogans demanding justice for Asifa. As police tried to disperse them, they pelted stones while in response government forces lobbed tear-smoke shells. The clashes left four students injured.
Students clashed with police in South Kashmir’s Shopian town as a result over a dozen students were wounded while two of them received pellets in their eyes.
Reports said that Government Forces resorted to aerial firing to disperse agitating students who clashed with them in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
Students coming from various coaching centres as per reports assembled near Jamia Masjid pelted stones on deployed forces. The students raised pro freedom slogans and demanded rapists should be hanged.
Eyewitnesses said that students didn’t disperse even though Government Forces lobbed tear smoke shells and fired pellets on them. The Forces fired couple of rounds in air as well.