SRINAGAR: Senior Kashmiri separatist leader and pro-independence JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik has been booked for attempt to murder after a police officer suffered grievous injury during recent clashes in Malik’s bastion in Maisuma area of Srinagar.
The clashes had broken out between youth and police and CRPF men at Maisuma area, the stronghold of JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik after Friday prayers on December 25.
The youth had taken to streets to protest against killing of a mother and her four-year-old son by a Village Defence Committee (VDC) member in Rajouri district of Jammu province.
During the clashes, youth pelted stones on the cops, who retaliated by lobbing tear smoke shells and resorting to heavy baton charge.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Fahad Tak, who was presently SDPO Kothibagh Police Station in city, sustained grievous injury to this eye and nose after being hit by a stone.
“The 29-year-old young police officer, who is a direct KPS of 2011 batch, has been airlifted to New Delhi and is under treatment at AIIMS, New Delhi,” a police spokesman said.
He said doctors at AIIMS are not very optimistic about the regaining of vision of the affected eye despite surgeries having being performed.
After the police officer sustained grievous injury, police detained JKLF chairman Yasin Malik and some of his supporters and a local court remanded them to judicial custody. Malik and his associates have been lodged in Central Jail, Srinagar.
Justifying its decision to book arrest and detain Yasin Malik, a police spokesman today said JKLF chairman along with his associates took out a procession on December 25 without any prior permission from district administration.
He said during the procession, Malik incited and instigated his associates with an intention to create disturbances and to disturb the normal life.
“Their supporters started heavy pelting on the policemen and the passing by vehicles injuring many policemen DySP Fahad Tak,” the spokesman said adding for this incident, FIR No 47/2015 was registered in Police Station Maisuma and Malik along with some of his associates were taken into custody and lodged in Police Station.
He said under the legal process, the accused have been remanded to Judicial custody and lodged in Central Jail, Srinagar.
Police sources said Malik has been booked under sections 307 (Attempt to Murder), 148, 149, 427, 332, 353, 152 of RPC (most related to inciting violence and waging war against the State.
Meanwhile, Maisuma and its adjoining areas in city centre observed shutdown today to protest against detention of Malik and his associates.