Clashes in Maisuma after scuffle between police, locals J&K Breaking News Following scuffle between police and residents in volatile area of Maisuma in Civil Lines area of summer capital, massive anti-police clashes and protests broke out in the area, witnesses said. Eyewitnesses said that after anti-Israel protests in the area, youth pelted stones on the police. “While police were chasing protesters, the cops asked a vendor who sells caps, Islamic books and perfumes outside Ahli-Hadith Masjid, to vacate the place and get inside. They also misbehaved with the seller and tried to throw objects he was selling. A skull cap was also thrown by police cops,” locals alleged. An eyewitness said that during verbal brawl some women also joined in. “The situation started to turn volatile and scuffle broke out between residents and police,” he said, adding the residents pelted stones on police from lanes and by-lanes and also from the mosque. “The police men resorted to baton charge and chased away them. They also pelted stones on people,” they said. In the meantime, a local said, announcements were made on public address systems of local mosques asking people to come out on streets and protest against police ‘highhandedness’. “The situation turned ugly and people attacked police with stones during they were forced to run. A policeman was also thrashed by a youth with a baton,” eyewitnesses said. The youth also appeared on Maisuma Bund and pelted stones on police. A police official told GNS police ‘politely’ asked the vendor to vacate for sometime as youth were pelting stones. “But he along with other people resorted to misbehavior and hurled abuses and with the help of other people resorted to stone-pelting,” he said. Witnesses said that police fired pellets to quell angry protesters in the area. Meanwhile, panic gripped Nowhatta after police fired aerial gunshots. Eyewitnesses told GNS that a police gypsy was stoned by a group of youth and after which police cops fired few gunshots in the air. Official sources confirmed that police fired ‘two to three’ gunshots in air after they were attacked by youth.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 14:47:25 +0000