SRINAGAR: With police yet to make a breakthrough in its investigation in the braid chopping incidents in Kashmir, events have taken a dangerous turn with mob attempting to immolate a deranged youth and drown another youth in Valley on Friday. Fortunately, both were rescued with timely intervention of police.
In Fruit Mandi area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, a mob intercepted a youth early in the morning today and mistook him as a braid chopper and started beating him.
The mob burnt the grass and threatened him to confess of braid chopping otherwise they would set him on fire.
As the alleged braid chopper was being beaten, a police team reached the spot and rescued him.
“A police party rescued the youth, who was being ruthlessly beaten by the mobs. The miscreants had also burnt hay and were trying to set the person ablaze. Some miscreants were trying to run a tractor over him,” a police spokesman said.
The rescued youth was identified as Wasim Ahmad Tantray and police said he turned out to be a mentally challenged.
“He has been referred to Srinagar hospital for specialised treatment,” the police spokesman said.
He said culprits involved in the incident have been identified and would be arrested soon.
The video of the incident with mob beating and attempting to set the youth on fire has gone viral on social media.
Also today, a mob in Hazratbal area of Srinagar mistook a youth, who had gone to offer morning prayers at Hazratbal shrine, as a braid chopper.
“The person tried to convince people that he is not braid chopper but had come to the shrine to offer morning prayers. However, people accused him of being a braid chopper and started beating him ruthlessly. The mob tried to kill him by drowning him into the waters of Dal Lake but timely action of police rescued him,” the police spokesman said.
He said the youth hailing from south Kashmir’s Shopian district had come to meet his brother, who is studying in University of Kashmir and visited Hazartbal shrine to offer prayers there.
Over 120 braid chopping incidents have taken place in Valley in about a month and these incidents have caused fear psychosis among the people, especially the womenfolk.
People have formed vigilante groups to keep vigil during the night to prevent braid chopping incidents.
There have been many incidents when people and vigilant groups caught and beat suspected braid choppers, who later turned out to be innocent.
In one such incident last week, a 70-year-old man died of grievous injuries when he was mistaken as a braid chopper and attacked with a brick by his nephew in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
In some incidents, the mob also beat some army and police men, who were later rescued by police.
Some foreign tourists and non-local labourers were also rescued by police from Srinagar when they were being mistaken for braid cutters.
Police has formed special investigation teams to probe the braid chopping incidents. It has also announced reward of Rs 6 lakh for information on the braid choppers.
However, police is yet to achieve any breakthrough in its probe into braid chopping incidents.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Muneer Ahmad Khan said mob vigilantism won’t be tolerated.
He said eight people have been arrested from Srinagar city.
“People have also been detained in Baramulla and Sopore. We will take action against the vigilant mobs,” the IGP said.
He said they have nothing against youth keeping watch in the localities but they should not harass and beat innocents. “In case, they suspect anybody, they should inform”.
Meanwhile, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik have called for a shutdown in Kashmir on Saturday against the braid chopping incidents.
They asked traders, transporters and people to suspend their routine activities on Saturday.
The trio also asked people to handover the suspicious elements to trustworthy persons or local Masjid committees for onward action. “In no case, they should punish the suspects on their own”.