Solider arrested for killing government teacher
By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar : Over a dozen people were injured as violent protests rock Kupwara district of North Kashmir over the killing of a government teacher allegedly by an army personal on Friday afternoon. Police said that the accused jawan has been arrested while District administration has ordered a magisterial probe in the matter.
Reports reaching here revealed that the protest demonstration continued in the district for the second consecutive day today as people refused to burry body of a government teacher, Abdul Rashid Mir, who was allegedly killed by an army jawan near Marchari check post in Kralpora area.
Large number of people, including women and children, took to street raising anti-government and anti-army slogans. Demanding immediate arrest of the culprits, the protestors even refused the assurances from police.
The protestors, sources told News Agency of Kashmir, staged a sit in outside a local mosque throughout the night and in the morning they resorted to violent protest demonstrations.
As some senior officers from the district administration and police reached the spot, the angry protestors turned violent and resorted to stone pelting. Two official vehicles were reportedly set on fire by the protestors.
Police, sources added, resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob. At least 14 persons, including six police personnel, were injured in the ding dong battle, which lasted for more than two hours.
Police said that it immediately swung into action and lodged a case of murder against the accused solider. The jawan, who was identified by the army as Tariq Ahmed, was arrested after the registration of the case, they added.
Body of the teacher was laid to rest only after the arrest and announcement by the district administration that a magisterial probe would be conducted to look into the matter.
Locals alleged that the Rahbar-e-Taleem, Mir, had an alteration with the accused solider after which he was shot dead from a point blank range.
However, on the other hand there were two confliction official versions of the incident. A police spokesman, on Friday, claimed that Mir was shot dead by some unidentified gunmen, when he was on way to his school. On the other hand army claims that an accidental fire took the life of the teacher.
Army has already ordered a court of inquiry to look into the circumstances leading to Mir’s death.