Handwara girl says no soldier molested her, Kashmir remains on boil

Meanwhile, Kashmir remained on the boil on Wednesday as one more youth was killed in fresh clashes between protesters and security forces in the Valley amid curfew-like restrictions imposed in view of the disquiet following the death of three civilians in firing by Army on Tuesday.

An Assistant Sub-Inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police was  suspended on Wednesday for “mishandling” of the law and order situation in north Kashmir’s Handwara town where two youth and a woman were killed and four injured in firing by Army on Tuesday after allegations that a girl was molested by a soldier (rpt) by a soldier.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is in Delhi on her maiden visit after assuming the charge, raised the matter with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who assured her that a probe will be conducted and the culprits punished.

Describing the firing incident as “very unfortunate”, she said, “Such incidents should not happen in the future.” 

She said the families of the victims will be compensated.

Northern Army Commander Lt General D S Hooda visited the affected area in Handwara and pushed for early completion of probe into the killing of three civilians on Tuesday. He termed the incident as “highly regrettable”. Meanwhile, one more youth was killed when security forces fired teargas shells to quell protesters, raising to four the toll in the clashes between protesters and security forces since Tuesday.

In a widely circulated YouTube video interview, the teenager narrated the sequence of events and clarified that she was not misbehaved with or molested by a soldier.

“I went to the (public) washroom and handed my bag to a friend. When I came back, a Kashmiri student heckled me and snatched my bag. The boy in school uniform slapped me and asked ‘if there were no boys in the valley’ (angrily insinuating that the girl was in a relationship with a soldier). I was shocked and confused.”