SRINAGAR (PTI) Over sixty people, including some policemen, were injured in clashes between police and violent mobs and a former legislator was arrested on charges of inciting people in Anantnag township of the northern state of Jammu and Kash mir Saturday.

Divisional M.S. Pandit said that the legislator Mohd. Syed Shah, who resigned recently from the State Assembly, was taken into custody on charges of inciting people at the conclusion of a procession to mark the 10EMilad in the township.

However, unofficial reports said the processionists were trying to force their way to Lal Chowk to hoist a flag there in memory of those killed in the police firing on Sept. 29.

Mohd Shah is the elder brother of the arrested militant leader Shabir Shah and belongs to Anantnag.

Police burst teargas shells and lath charged the 4,000 strong mob after repeated warnings failed to disperse the stonethrowing mob.

More than 60 people including policemen were injured in stone-pelting and teargassing, unofficial reports said.

Reports said the mob stoned several vehicles, including a state roadways bus, causing damage to some vehicles.

The township observed a day’s strike as curfew, which was clamped Friday as a precautionary mea sure, was lifted on Oct. 15.

The “MahazIAzadi (liberation front)” has given the call for a three-day strike to protest against the indiscriminate arrests and “unprovoked” police firing on Sept. 29 in which three people were killed.

A post office was completely damaged in a bomb explosion at Sathu babarshah area of this capital city of the sensitive northern Indian border state of Jammu and Kashmir.

However, no one was injured in the blast, which was suspected to be the handiwork of Pakistan trained militants, official reports said.

The blast shook the entire area and also damaged window panes of some adjacent buildings.

Meanwhile, a government rest house and electric generator shed were set afire by unidentified miscreants at Sher Buchan in Leh township of the frontier Ladakh area of the state.

Meanwhile, the chief of the UmmatIslami, Qazi Nissar, said that the strike in the town will continue until its three-point demands including the transfer of the district superintendent of police were met.

Curfew was clamped in Anantnag as district authorities apprehending violence in view of a strike call given by a local organization asked for army assistance.

Police have also made preventive arrests in view of the harial call by MahaziAzadi to protest against the death of three persons in police firing on September 29. Ahmed Bhat, General Secretary of MahaziAzadi was among those arrested.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 20, 1989