Teenager shot dead in Valley, two cops held

A teenager was shot dead by security forces in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday during a strike called by hardline Hurriyat Conference against the recent killing of two youths in an Army operation in Tral, prompting the authorities to register a murder case and order a magisterial probe. Two policemen have been arrested in connection with the incident, sources said.

As violence erupted in several parts of the Valley, fuelling tensions further, state police personnel opened fire to disperse protesters at Narbal in Budgam, wounding three, including a 16-year-old boy. The injured were rushed to a hospital here where Suhail Ahmed Sofi died. Earlier reports had said the boy was killed in firing by the CRPF.

“Additional Deputy Commissioner has been asked to probe the incident that led to the death of the boy. He has been asked to submit a report within 15 days,” District Magistrate Budgam Mir Altaf Ahmad said.

A controversy erupted over the killing of the boy with the police admitting that their personnel had prima facie not followed the standard operating procedure at the time of the incident. Exactly how they violated the SoP was not yet known. 

“The preliminary inquiry into the incident indicated that the forces have acted in violation of the laid down Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),” a police spokesman said. He said a case under Sections 302 (Murder), 147, 149, 341 and 427 RPC has been registered at Magam police station.