By IANS,
Srinagar : Angry protesters clashed with the police Sunday at a number of places in the summer capital Srinagar over the killing of a youth here.
Protesters pelted stones at the police and the paramilitary central reserve police force (CRPF) personnel deployed at a number of places in the old city and uptown areas.
“Dozens of protesters and security men have been injured in today’s (Sunday) clashes here,” a police officer said.
While the police here said the slain youth, Javaid Ahmad Bhat, 20, was killed Saturday as an angry mob attacked the Nowhatta police station with petrol bombs, relatives and locals claimed Bhat had gone out of his home to buy goods for family when he was hit by a rubber bullet fired at him without any provocation by the police.
Doctors attending on Bhat had said his death occurred as the rubber bullet had hit his chest fracturing a rib that pierced the youth’s heart.
The police resorted to baton charge and used tear gas shells to disperse protesters who shouted slogans against the security forces blaming them for Bhat’s killing.
Angry protests erupted against the killing of the youth at Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Fateh Kadal, Khanyar and Safa Kadal areas of the old city where protesters resorted to stone pelting at the security forces.
Clashes between the protesters and the security forces occurred in the uptown Maisuma, Lal Chowk and Bemina areas.
Protesters forced closure of the markets where some shopkeepers had opened their shops Sunday to compensate for Saturday’s shutdown across the Valley called by the separatists here.
Meanwhile, the separatist co-ordination committee is meeting here Sunday at the uptown Hyderpora residence of separatist leader, Syed Ali Geelani, to announce the separatists’ future programme.