Srinagar: Probe ordered after youth killed in firing

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], Apr 15 (ANI): In another development highlighting the soaring violence in the Valley, a youth was killed after security forces opened fired at stone pelters in S.D. colony Batmaloo in Srinagar on Saturday. "Police is collecting the details and is looking into the circumstances under which a person identified as Sajad Hussain Sheikh, a resident of Chandoosa Baramulla at present S.D. Colony Srinagar got killed," the police said in a statement. However, the District Police administration Srinagar has informed that there was no deployment in the area and that the matter is being investigated. Earlier in the day, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat reached Jammu and Kashmir to take stock of the situation following the spree of violence around the by-polls and the emergence of a string of shocking videos regarding security personnel and civilians. Some days ago, a video purportedly showing a Kashmiri youth tied to the front of moving army jeep invited protests from human rights groups and criticism from the people including several politicians. Yesterday, the army said it is investigating the video that was reportedly shot in Beerwah area of Budgam district where miscreants disrupted polling during Sunday's by-poll to Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency by pelting stones. Interestingly the video surfaced within days after another video cropped up showing Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel walking down a street while being heckled, kicked and punched by youth, setting off a nationwide outrage. There was no retaliation by the security personnel, who quietly walked to their camp as they were under instructions to not open fire, officials in the paramilitary said. Some days ago, the civilians were killed during clashes with security forces in various areas of central Kashmir's Budgam district. The Srinagar Parliamentary constituency witnessed lowest voter turnout for the by-polls in the wake of the clashes. Seven people were killed and 36 injured during clashes in different areas in Budgam district on Sunday when the by-polls were being conducted for the Srinagar parliamentary seat in Jammu and Kashmir. The poll turnout was only 6.5%.(ANI)