One killed as CRPF opens fire on Baramulla protest

The protest began on Sunday when a group of youths tried to enforce a bandh by pelting stones at shopkeepers. As they were moving towards the main part of the town, a Special Operations Group vehicle chasing them accidentally hit two youths, Mohammad Rafiq and Irshad Ahmad. The protestors lost their cool and started pelting stones at the police and CRPF.

After lathicharge and teargas failed to quell the crowd, the CRPF opened fire. Irfan Ahmad, a student of first year, was killed in the firing. Eyewitnesses claimed Ahmad was not even a part of the protest and was a bystander, and that there was no real provocation for the CRPF to start firing. 8220;It was a routine protest8230; Then, at once, the CRPF men opened fire on the agitators,8221; said Bashir Ahmad.

Confirming the firing, a police spokesperson said a violent mob had attacked a CRPF deployment.

Later the protests spread to other parts of the town, with stones being pelted on the police and CRPF, in which 20 people were injured. The protests continued till late in the evening.