20 people injured in CRPF, police lathicharge, teargassing

Srinagar, Sep 13 (UNI) About 20 people, including some lawyers, were injured when Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) resorted to lathicharge and police burst teargas shells in the civil line area here to disperse demonstrators.

The trouble started when a group of people at Maisuma took to streets, raising pro freedom slogans, protesting agaist yesterdays alleged unprovoked firing, teargassing and lathicharge on peaceful processionits in the valley that left two dead and about one hundred injured.

Police and CRPF, deployed in strength in the area immediately swung into action and chased away the protestors, who refused to disperse and started pelting stones.

Later, police burst teargas shells and resorted to repeated lathicharge to disperse them.

The road side vendors and shopkeepers were the worst-hit as they were beaten up by the CRPF with lathis and rifle butts.

A seriously wounded roadside vendor, who was beaten up by three CRPF personnel said he did not run, thinking that he would not be touched since he was not a part of the agitators. He was later admitted to Bone and Joint hospital with multiple fractures.

Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association president Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoum told newspersons that a number of lawyers, on way their to court, were also beaten up by the CRPF in Lal Chowk and court road areas.

Later, violence spread to other adjoining areas, including Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), Koker Bazar, Gaw Kadal, Madina chowk, Lal Chowk, Sari Bala and Mehraj Bazar.

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