Protests continue over Shopian incident in Kashmir

Srinagar, June 30 (ANI): Activists of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) took out a candlelight march here last night to protest against the alleged rape and murder of two Kashmiri women at Shopian area last month.

Holding placards for justice, supporters marched raising pro-freedom slogans and later staged a sit-in demonstration demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.

"The way the case is delayed, it's heading to destruction and will lead to disaster, because people here as yet are protesting peacefully against this incident while their patience should not be tested anymore. The culprits should be arrested and brought before public," said Showket Bakshi, a JKLF activist.

Earlier this month, the state administration had placed JKLF leader Yasin Malik and several other separatist leaders under house arrest for encouraging almost daily public demonstration and protests against the incident.

Residents of Shopian had alleged that the teenaged girl and another woman were abducted, raped and killed on May 29.

Although the police initially denied such an assault saying the two had died due to drowning, medical tests confirmed rape and murder.

Separatist groups have been using the incident to stage demonstrations even though Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident with an assurance that the guilty will not be spared and dealt accordingly. (ANI)