Grenade attacks, civilian killings decreases

Srinagar, Mar 19: Frisking and vehicle checking by security forces have helped to keep a check on grenade and other attacks by militants, claimed valley based chief of Jammu and Kahsmir police S M Sahai.

There has been a 75 per cent decrease in the grenade attacks while civilian killings have been brought down by 85 per cent in Srinagar, Mr Sahai said while speaking at the valedictory function of the programme titled ''Youth in Decision making'' at Kashmir university here. He said frisking and checking has become unavoidable although it sometimes creates inconvenience to the general public.

He said there has been considerable improvement in the security situation in the state in general and Srinagar city in particular. The frisking and vehicle checking in business hubs of the city has led to 75 per cent decrease in the grenade attacks while civilian killings have been brought down by 85 per cent in Srinagar, he added.

Mr Sahai said there was only one car blast in the past six months in the city. This, he said, was due to the alertness of the security forces. He said, ''in the past, Srinagar city used to witness scores of violent incidents almost regularly, but today we not only have incident-free days but months altogether.

He said such stringent features of frisking and checking will ease once there is further improvement in the situation. During his interaction with the students, Mr Sahai said when any Kashmiri student or businessman is arrested by police of any other state, the J&K police immediately took up the matter.

We want to ensure that no innocent Kashmiri is prosecuted in other states of the country, he said. ''Our officers and department quickly try to contact the police of that particular state where any Kashmiri is detained on charges of militancy,''he added.

Replying to a question, he said the Kashmiri students have a great responsibility in repairing the damaged social structure of the state.

UNI