KL Report
SRINAGAR
Day after polls concluded in north Kashmir with 39.06 percent polling in Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, several people who had cast their vote, were thrashed and stripped by youth in twin towns of Baramulla district.
Eyewitnesses said that the youth in volatile old Town Baramulla and Sopore Bus Stand were seen stopping vehicles from remote areas like Uri, Kupwara and other places and were asked to show index fingers.
“Those who had the mark on their index finger were thrashed,” an eyewitness, insisting not to be named from Azad Gunj said.
Another eyewitness from Sopore said: “The glasses of around 10 vehicles from Kupwara were smashed by youth and people who had cast vote were thrashed in Bus Stand and Iqbal Market.”
The vehicles of Uri – which recorded 65.42 percent polling – pass from Baramulla town while the vehicles from of Kupwara district – which recorded 69.29 percent polling – pass through Sopore. Lowest turnout was recorded in Sopore segment with 1.02 polling percentage.
“Groups of youth thrashed scores of people at Cement Bridge Baramulla, Azad Gunj, Tawheed Gunj who were coming from Rafiabad, Khadniyar and Handwara,” another eyewitness said, adding index fingers of many women were also checked.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) North Kashmir, G.H. Bhat said: “A vehicle from Kupwara was stopped in Sopore and that was checked by youth. After checking the vehicle, there was a thrashing incident. Police reached the spot and they were chased away.”
He said that another incident was reported from Azad Gunj area of Baramulla but no one was thrashed. “But we controlled the situation and everything is alright now,” he added. (GNS)
