Shops and markets in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley remained closed, as the situation in the city and elsewhere in the valley remained tense.
A shutdown in protest against the CBI finding in the Shopian case brought the Kashmir valley to a standstill today and led to violent clashes between groups of youths and police leaving a dozen persons injured.
Fire broke out in a house at Bohrikadal in the old city during the clashes, and efforts were on to douse the flames. Locals alleged that the fire was caused by indiscriminate teargas shelling by police. However, police denied the charge.
The strike was called by an NGO Majlis-e-Mashawarat against the CBI report yesterday that the two young women in Shopian allegedly raped and murdered, had actually died by drowning, triggering angry claims of a cover-up. The outfit alleged that the guilty were being shielded and a chargesheet was being filed against innocents.
Anticipating trouble, authorities placed under house arrest all top Hurriyat leaders, including chairman of moderate faction Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeen Ahmad Khan, official sources said.
Shops and markets in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley remained closed, as the situation in the city and elsewhere in the valley remained tense. Additional contingents of police and paramilitary forces were deployed in sensitive areas to maintain law and order.
The clashes erupted at nearly a dozen places in Srinagar, two places in North Kashmir's Baramulla and South Kashmir's Pulwama town when police stopped hundreds of people shouting anti-CBI slogans by taking out processions.
Police used batons and teargas to control the crowd.
Giving a clean chit to four police officials in the case, CBI had also indicted 13 people including six doctors, five lawyers and two civilians for allegedly fabricating evidence.
Light rains in most parts of the valley, including Srinagar, also forced people to stay indoors.
Chanting anti-CBI slogans, groups of youth took to the streets at a dozen places in Srinagar including Bohrikadal, Eidgah, Batmaloo, Natipora, Kawdara, Jamia Masjid, Maisuma, Qammerwari and Barzalla and pelted stones at security forces deployed in strength to maintain law and order.
Police used batons and teargas to control the crowd, the sources said, adding four persons were injured in the clashes in these places.
Inspector general of police Kashmir Farooq Ahmed claimed the situation was under control. "Stray incidents of stone pelting were reported from some areas, but the situation was well under control".
Official sources said eight persons, including two policemen, were injured, as intense clashes were going on at Cement Bridge in Baramulla and Hathi Shah in Sopore town, 55 km from here.
Groups of youth also clashed with police in Pulwama district town, 32 km from here.
However, the protestors dispersed peacefully after visiting the house of the deceased women and assured full support to the family.
Reacting strongly to the CBI report in the Shopian case, chairman of hardline faction of Hurriyat Syed Ali Shah Geelani said, "The probe into the Shopian tragedy was just a drama to shield the men in uniform".
Chairman of moderate Hurriyat conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who was placed under house arrest, said, "Though the people of Shopian showed faith in CBI, its report was against their expectations and shielded the guilty."
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