One killed as stone-pelting rocks Kashmir again

Stone-pelting claimed another life in Kashmir when a State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) driver who was injured while trying to save a polling staff from the stone pelters at Baramulla on Monday succumbed to his wounds on Thursday.

Police said the deceased Ghulam Jeelani Bhat of Shalimar, Srinagar, who was driving the bus in which polling staff were travelling, lost control and rammed into a nearby shop. He sustained grievous injuries and was shifted to a hospital where he died after battling for life for three days.

Police said the bus was on way from Rafiabad to Baramulla carrying polling staff for Panchayat elections when it was attacked by stone pelting mob at Azad Gunj.

Meanwhile, police lathicharged and lobbed smoke shells at Maisuma after youth resorted to stone-pelting in the area.  

Yasin Malik, JKLF chairman and his associate Shoukat Bakshi were arrested on Thursday for allegedly ransacking a police station in Maisuma area and attacking police personnel.