India/Kashmir

Protesters defy curfew, police open fire

Article published on the 2009-06-30 Latest update 2009-07-01 09:03 TU

An Indian policeman tries to remove a burning tyre during a protest in Srinagar, 30 June 2009.
(Photo: Reuters/Danish Ismail)

Protestors defied a curfew on Tuesday in the north of Indian-administered Kashmir, and an 11 year-old boy was shot in the head and injured. The protests in Baramulla, 55 kilometres north of the summer capital, Srinagar, followed the killing of two demonstrators in a protest against the alleged harrassment of a woman by police.

The shootings brought thousands on to the streets on Tuesday in protests that spread to the neighbouring town of Sopore, prompting the district authorities to impose curfews in both towns.

On Monday, two young demonstrators were killed in Baramulla, 55 kilometres (34 miles) north of the Kashmiri summer capital Srinagar, while protesting against the alleged harassment of a Muslim woman by police.

In Bandipora town, further north of Sopore, six people were hurt in clashes with police during a violent anti-India protest, police said.

A general strike that was called in response to the death of the protesters, brought life to a standstill on Tuesday in Srinagar, as well as in other towns in the Muslim-dominated Kashmir valley.

Schools, shops and offices closed in Srinagar where police patrols were out in force. A group of separatist leaders who tried to reach Baramulla from Srinagar were detained by police mid-way.

Indian security forces are already facing daily protests over the suspected rape and murder of two young women whose bodies were found in a stream on 30 May 2009. Indian police initially said they had drowned, despite allegations by family members that the women had been abducted, raped and murdered by members of security forces deployed in the revolt-hit region.

Forensic tests later established that they had indeed been raped, and police have registered a murder case.