SRINAGAR: People across the occupied Valley said that the army and paramilitary CRPF troopers are continuing atrocities on them. In south Kashmir’s Kulgam district paramilitary CRPF troopers today barged into the houses and severely beat inmates including a youth suffering from paralysis. Locals said during curfew relaxation, CRPF troopers without any provocation forcefully barged into the houses and thrashed inmates of all ages and genders.

Locals said that troopers ransacked some houses. At Srandu Kulgam, troopers barged into the house of Master Abdur Rehman Bhat and beat his paralysed son Aijaz Ahmed. Ahmed who has spinal cord injury is suffering from paralysis for the past six years. “The troopers entered the house and beat Aijaz ruthlessly. His father was pleading with them to at least spare his son who is suffering from paralysis but they paid no heed,” Bhat’s neighbour Abdur Rashid said.

As the news of beating Aijaz spread in the area, people in large numbers came out on streets and staged a protest with him in the wheel chair. As people from the adjoining villages flocked to take part in the protest demonstration, paramilitary troopers opened fire in the air to disperse the procession. Meanwhile, people in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district took to streets and demanded the release of Hurriyat leaders. Authorities had relaxed curfew in the Bandipora from 7:00 am to 11:00 am but had to curtail lit an hour early as people from various villages protested against the arrest of pro- resistance leaders.

People pelted stones on police and paramilitary troopers while raising anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. The district tehsildar Ghulam Ahmad Khan rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the protestors. However, the protestors reiterated their demand of releasing the prisoners first following which troopers of 57 RR baton charged the protestors.

According to other news After a ban was imposed on the local cable channels, the New Delhi based channels have been taken off air in occupied Kashmir as curfew remained in force. Local cable operators said that they had blocked all channels in protest against the curbs imposed by the state administration and police. “Curfew in occupied Kashmir is worse than Martial Law,” a civil society activist said. A local cable TV operator Amjad told Rising Kashmir that they had blocked the Indian news channels in protest against the curbs imposed on the local media by administration, police and troopers.-SANA