Srinagar: A shutdown called by an alliance of key separatist leaders against shifting of Syedah Aasiyah Andrabi, the leader of rightwing all-women Dukhtaran-e-Millat (daughters of the faith), along with her two associates, to Delhi by National Investigation Agency (NIA) brought life to a standstill across the Kashmir Valley on Saturday.
56-year-old Andrabi and her aides Nahida Nasreen and Sofi Fahmeeda were on Friday sent to 10 days NIA remand by a Patiala House court. The NIA had sought the custody of the three charged with funding for terror and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir it for further interrogation. The separatist leaders’ alliance called ‘Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL)’ condemned the action of NIA and alleged “It is the worst form of political vengeance and vendetta against the resistance leadership.”
Ahead of shutdown and protests called by the JRL to commemorate the “martyrdom” of Wani, two of its leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were put under house arrest and the third Muhammad Yasin Malik was taken into preventive custody by the police.
The security forces, in riot gear on the second consecutive day, on Saturday enforced curfew-like restrictions in parts of summer capital Srinagar “as a precautionary measure” to prevent protests and violence.
The authorities also suspended the rail services in the Valley whereas the shutdown called by the separatists closed marketplaces and public transport services.
Tral, the native township of Burhan Wani, has been placed under curfew ahead of his anniversary. The authorities have snapped mobile Internet services in southern and central parts of the Valley and announced that security restrictions will remain in force in most parts of Srinagar on Sunday “as a precautionary measure.”
The officials said that security restrictions under Section 144 CrPc will be enforced in areas falling under the jurisdiction of the police stations of Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safa Kadal, Maharaj Gunj, Rainawari, Kralkhud and Maisuma police stations. He also said that the roll number slips and admit cards of the candidates scheduled to appear for different exams on Sunday will be treated as curfew passes.
Meanwhile, a CRPF jawan and a civilian pedestrian were injured in a grenade attack carried out by suspected militants in Srinagar’s Hyderpora area on Saturday afternoon. Ct Sadashiv Vipati of ‘C’ Company of the CRPF’s 25th battalion and civilian Jibran Bashir who received splinter injuries were rushed to the hospital for treatment, the police said adding that their condition was stable.
