NL Correspondent
Srinagar, May 14
Clashes and protests continued for the third consecutive day in the Valley over the alleged rape of a minor girl in Sumbal area of north Kashmir's Baramulla district.
Some of the areas in Srinagar however remained under restrictions that include Zadibal, Hasnabad, Alamgari Bazar and other adjoining areas.
Clashes erupted outside Bemina Degree College and Amar Singh College, Srinagar today. The clashes erupted following the protests by the students against Bandipora incident.
Eyewitness told that students of Amar Singh College staged protests inside College promises and tried to move outside to carry out a protest march.
However, police deployed outside the College barred them from carrying out the protest, following which the students pelted them with stones, which was retaliated by disbursing tear gas canisters, triggering clashes.
Local sources informed that clashes also erupted near Bemina Degree College between students and JK Police after the campus erupted in massive protest.
The students of Degree College pelted stones on the government forces during which they used tear gas canisters to disperse them.
Meanwhile, the students of Law College here also staged a protest at Srinagar's Press Enclave, demanding stringent action against the involved person in Bandipora rape case.
The students of Law College here raised slogans in favour of justice and said stern punishment should be taken against the culprit.
Moreover, the students of SP College here also carried out a protest rally towards Srinagar's Press Enclave. The students carrying placards, raised slogans against the accused, demanding stringent action against him.
The Ladakhis residing in Hawal area of Srinagar also staged a protest against the incident, terming it as shameful and unfortunate.
They said that the involved person should be dealt with strictly, adding that the action against him should remain a lesson for everyone.
Meanwhile, the students of Kashmir University (KU) of different departments also staged a protest inside the varsity campus against Bandipora incident.
The protesting students raised slogans in favour of justice and stern punishment against the involved person.
The students said that they will not tolerate such kind of acts in the society, adding that stern punishment should be taken against the culprit
Moreover, Degree College Kangan students also staged a protest in Kangan against the incident.
Scores of students marched from their campus Margund to main Market Kangan and staged a sit-in at Main Chowk Kangan, in solidarity with the victim.
The students from north Kashmir's Boniyar, Uri also carried out a protest rally and demanded that stringent punishment against the culprit.
The students from Tral area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district also staged a protest against the incident, terming it as unfortunate. The students raised slogans in favour of justice and demanded action against the culprit.
Over 40 security personnel, including an officer, and seven civilians were injured on Monday as clashes broke out in Jammu and Kashmir during protest against the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district, police said. Youths held protests and pelted stones at security forces at several locations in Baramulla district in north Kashmir, a police official said.
Forty-seven personnel of the security forces were injured in the clashes at Mirgund, Chainabal, Harnath, Singhpora, Jheel Bridge, Kripalpora Payeen and Hanjiwera areas of the district.
An assistant commandant of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) received injury on his head, the official said.
Seven civilians were also injured in the clashes, he said, adding all of them were stable.
A shutdown was also observed in Kargil town as locals took out a rally over the incident.
The protesters raised slogans in support of their demand for exemplary punishment to the accused who is in police custody, the officials said.
They said the shops and business establishments remained closed in the entire town as local residents assembled under the banner of Imam Khomeni Memorial Trust and took out a massive rally.
Students joined the rally which went round various parts in the town and concluded peacefully at Kalon Rahim Khan Chowk.
The vice chairman of the trust, Sheikh Bair Shakir, urged the government to deal with such heinous cases on fast track basis and ensure exemplary punishment to the culprits in a time-bound manner.
Congress rebel leader and former MLA Asgar Ali Karbali expressed solidarity with the family of the victim and said the people of Kargil would not remain mute spectator to such gruesome incidents.
“We want our society a better place for everyone especially the girls and the women. The government should ensure investigation of rape cases on fast track basis and deliver speedy justice to the victim by setting up special courts,” he said.
The three-year-old girl was allegedly raped in Sumbal area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district, prompting the Jammu and Kashmir Police to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident.
- Hang my son if proven guilty : Father of accused
Bandipora, May 14
Father of alleged rapist who is behind bars Tuesday appealed people to have his version too. “Since May 8, people have been listening to the story of Ghulam Mohiuddin Dar and today I request them to listen to me as well,” Abdul Rehman Mir, the father of rape accused told.
Ghulam Mohiuddin Dar, a resident of Malikpora Targam area of Sumbal town here in North Kashmir's Bandipora district has accused the son of Abdul Rehman Mir of violating her 3 year old baby girl. Dar along with the couple of relatives handed over the accused to police and subsequently a case was registered and keeping the intensity of the protests, police constituted a SIT to conduct a fair probe.
Though everyone in society condemned the alleged rape incident and demanded exemplary punishment for the accused, but things went ugly when a certificate showing the date of birth of accused as (23-7-2009) signed by the Principal Islamic Education Institute went viral. Netizens raised eyebrows claiming that Principal wants to turn accused as juvenile.
“Those who raised questions over the character of the Principal Ali Muhammad Mir probably don't know he is a Shia himself. Those who protested claimed that the Principal wanted to save the accused because he like the accused is a Suni Muslim but unfortunately they don't know the Principal's background who only provided the school record sought by the Police. He never looked at the incident through the prism of any sect,” said the father of the accused Abdul Rehman Mir.
Mir said he can vouch for the innocence of his son who according to him is a kid himself. “The charges from my neighbor are fabricated,” he said.
When asked why Dar will defame her little daughter and accuse your son of rape, Mir said that the source of conflict is the property. “We wanted to shift some other place and that's why we sold our house to Dar. He paid Rs 7 lakh while rest of the amount he was supposed to pay us on May 8- the day when he leveled rape charges,” he said.
Mir said he fails to understand how Dar occupied his house forcefully after what he described as fake charges. “We were thrown out from the house shortly after the incident and it was occupied by Dar who is still living there,” he said.
“People when angry usually set the house of accused on fire or vandalize it but for the first the family of accused was ousted from the house and it was occupied by alleged victim family,” Mir said and demanded a thorough probe into the allegations.
Mir said he is not defending his son but only wants justice should prevail. “If my son is guilty he should be hanged in broad day light but give police a chance to probe the allegations,” he said.
When asked to throw light on the alleged incident, Mir said he was not at the house and don't know anything. “I am waiting for the medical report and have faith in the system,” he added. (CNS)
