Kunzar town tense after sectarian clashes

Tension gripped Kunzar area,35 kms from here,following desecration of a religious book for which one person has been arrested.

Two youths allegedly desecrated a holy book in Kunzar town on Srinagar-Gulmarg road last evening.

The rival group torched a residential house but timely action by the police and fire brigade department prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.

Police have arrested Farooq Ahmed Wani,and searches to nab the other accused,Tariq Ahmed Shiekh,a resident of Handwara in Kupwara district,are on.

Senior officials of the district are monitoring the situation.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that Shiekh,who was an Imam in the local mosque,had asked the youth to burn the holy scripture as it was not readable anymore,official sources said.

They said the Imam wanted to dispose the copy of the scripture as per the procedure permitted by the religion.

Civil administration officials are trying to broker peace between the rival sects to bring the situation back to normal.

Meanwhile,a 13-year-old boy was injured when a teargas shell exploded in his hand at Lolpora village of Kunzar area this morning,reports said.

They said Rameez Ahmad Tantray had brought home a shell,which was fired by the police yesterday to bring the situation under control,but it had failed to explode.

As the boy was fiddling with the device,it exploded

in his hand injuring him,they said.