SHAH ABBAS
Srinagar
Police have arrested more than a dozen youth from curfew bound Hawal area of the old city during nocturnal raids resulting in a fresh tension in the area. The arrested include five brothers of two families.
“We arrested only five youth during the intervening night of 3 and 4 December who are involved in stone pelting incidents,” said S P North Tahir Saleem.
However, sources told Kashmir Life that police arrested at least 16 youngsters from Krialepora Hawal and adjoining areas in midnight raids and they include five brothers of two families.
“Imtyaz Dehqani and his two brothers from Krialepora and two brothers from another family are among the sixteen youngsters arrested during the nocturnal raids,” sources said.
Police spokesman, defending the arrests, told Kashmir Life that “it is important to curb the miscreants for ensuring immediate normalcy in the area.” But he did not reveal the number of those arrested.
Phone calls received by Kashmir Life from people in Hawal and Nawhatta areas put the number of arrested by the police at more than 50 from the neighborhoods since trouble started last week.
Curfew without any relaxation is imposed in areas coming under Zadibal and Nowhatta police station, and Urdu Bazaar police post as a ‘precautionary measure’ since last six days.
Meanwhile, Kashmir Life also received a number of phone calls from the people who are under curfew in Zadibal area complaining shortage of essential drugs for the dozens of diabetic and heart ailments.
According to police, the stringent curfew is in place to prevent “group clashes and loss of life or property”.
Authorities had on Wednesday enforced a curfew in nine police station areas of the city following clashes.
Though the restrictions were lifted on Saturday, it was again imposed in Hawal and adjoining areas after fresh clashes broke out in the area.
