Shopian incident rocks J-K Assembly, govt on backfoot

Four persons were injured yesterday after police fired at an angry mob in Vehil, a km away from Chaudharigund. The protestors were shouting slogans against the alleged molestation of college girls by some Army personnel.

Later, Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Muzaffar Hussain Beigh told the House that two women approached the Shopian police station yesterday at 11.30 am with a complaint that the personnel of 1 Rashtriya Rifles, who have a frisking point near Shopian, resort to eve-teasing.

Beigh said Shopian SDPO and SHO went to verify the complaint when a 2,000-strong mob pelted stones on them. The minister said some protestors even tried to snatch the service rifle of one constable.

When police retaliated, Muddassir Ahmad Rather, Arif Ahmad Wagay and Firdous Ahmad Malik received superficial bullet injuries while three more were injured in stone-pelting, he said. After Beigh finished reading out the statement, Shopian MLA Ghulam Hassan demanded that the government should ensure such events don’t recur. Intervening, the Speaker told him that government has taken note.