Conflict

Valley shuts against ‘custodial killing’ of school teacher, mobile internet, train services suspended

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Srinagar: On the call of the Joint Resistance Leadership, Kashmir valley is observing a complete shutdown against the ‘custodial killing’ of Rizwan Asad Pandith, a school teacher associated with the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Shops and other business establishments are shut in the capital city Srinagar while public transport is off the roads. Reports of complete shutdown were also received from other district headquarters of the valley.

Authorities have increased the deployment of Police and paramilitary soldiers in Srinagar and enforced restrictions on the movement of people in anticipation of protests and clashes. While the mobile internet services have also been suspended south Kashmir districts, the speed of mobile internet has been throttled to 2G in Budgam and Srinagar.

Meanwhile, authorities have suspended Train service for security reasons after receiving an advisory from divisional administration and police.

A railway official said that no train will run on Srinagar-Badgam and Baramulla in north Kashmir. Similarly, no train will also chug on Badgam-Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region.

Rizwan Pandith, who was arrested by the police in a ‘militancy-related case’, died in police custody at CARGO camp in Srinagar last night, a police spokesman said in a statement.

Joint Resistance Leadership has called it an ‘act of state terrorism’, and announced a shutdown in protest against the same.

Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) has supported the strike call extended by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) against the ‘brutal custodial killing’ of Awantipora youth Rizwan Pandith.

As soon as the news of the custodial death of Rizwan Pandith, a teacher in Awantipora reached the area, intense clashes erupted and a spontaneous shutdown was observed.

Reports said that all shops and other commercial establishments remained closed in the area while traffic went off the roads soon after news of death of Rizwan Pandith reached there.

Students at the University of Kashmir also staged a protest against the custodial death of Pandith and summons issued to Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Reacting to the incident, Omar Abdullah demanded exemplary punishment to those responsible for the death of Pandith.

PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti while reacting over the custodial death of the Awantipora youth said that GoI’s repressive approach has left young educated men vulnerable who are forced to take up arms.

Peoples Conference Chief Sajad Lone in his reaction said that ‘this is what sanctity of human life has been reduced to in Kashmir.’

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