SrinagarMysterious braid chopping incidents continued unabated forcing hapless people to take to streets only to be met with police force and batons.
The concerned students of Government College for Women, MA Road here assembled in college premises and staged a protest against unabated braid chopping incidents.
Asking authorities to nab the culprits and expose these criminal elements, the protesting students raised slogans against braid cutting incidents. They alleged that police has miserably failed to nab the culprits and even those who are being captured by people are released after brief questioning.
They said that these acts have created fear among the people especially the womenfolk here. We are afraid to venture out of our homes even in the broad day light now. These acts must be stopped forth with so that the people could have a sigh of relief, said student Asiya Jabeen.
Students also said that they will come on the roads if the administration fails to find the culprits behind these incidents.
Meanwhile in Chattabal area of Srinagar city witnessed intense clashes after a braid chopping incident. The angry protesters hit the roads. When police intervened protesters pelted stones on them. Police responded with cane charge and tear-smoke shelling. The clashes disrupted normal life there while shopkeepers downed their shutters.
Protests also erupted at Saidakadal area of Srinagar city where a woman reportedly foiled braid chopping attempt. Reports said that large number of people shortly after the incident took to roads and blocked vehicular movement. Police rushed to spot and pacified the agitated protesters.
Protests were held in two villages of Pulwama district in south Kashmir after braids of two women were allegedly cut by unknown persons.
Reports said that people, mostly women, took to streets in Manghama and Pahoo villages after braids of two women were allegedly chopped off.
They said that the protesters raised pro-freedom and anti-government slogans.
The protesters alleged that the government has failed to provide security to them.
Braid Chopping incidents were also reported from Sangarwani and Qalampora villages of the Pulwama district.
Reports from Narbal area of District Budgam in Central Kashmir said that unknown miscreants sprayed some chemical on the face of a non-local labor as a result he felt unconscious. The victim whom police identified as Muhammad Rafiq of West Bengal was shifted to JVC Hospital Bemina.
Pertinently about 80 incidents of braid chopping have been reported in the Kashmir valley in past 3 weeks alone.
The chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has directed the Police to formulate a team to investigate the matter thoroughly.
The state Police later formed Special Investigation Team (SIT) in this regard.
The police also announced a reward of Rs six lakh for credible information leading to arrest of any person behind braid chopping incidents.
However, the police on late Friday evening rued the lack of support from public in solving the mystery behind unabated braid-chopping incidents in Kashmir valley.
They also said that all the accused handed over to them were found innocent.
In most of the cases, we have not been provided support by the victims or close family members. They admit that the people may be reluctant to visit the police stations. We have decided that a lady police officer would be available for these victims to be examined or statements recorded, DIG Central Kashmir Ghulam Hassan Bhat had told reporters on Friday.
Observers however dismiss police argument saying it is the job of police to probe and find out the culprits not the public.
Police has miserably failed to install confidence among people by not being able to crack a single case so far and if they continue to dither it may lead to anarchy, according to Hakim Masood-ul-Hassan, a social and political activist.
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