KL Report
SRINAGAR
Relatives of hundreds of detained youth allegedly involved in stone-pelting incidents were seen waiting outside different police stations and posts to get their kins released as early as possible.
After the stone-pleting incidents in length and breadth of Kashmir Valley, police have swung into action and have nabbed hundreds of stone-pelters across Kashmir Valley. Most of the detained stone-pelters according to police had been bailed out by the Court, however, “even after that these youth did not mend their ways and continued to indulge in stone-pelting.”
According to reports, hundreds of youth have been arrested by police for their alleged involvement in stone pelting. Some of the youth have been called to police stations for their involvement in past in stone-pelting incidents. Eyewitnesses told CNS that scores of men and women were seen waiting outside police stations to meet their dear ones.
“My 15 years old son has been lodged in Saddar police station. He is not a pelter but a student,” Shameema Bano from Padshahi Bagh said. Her daughter expressed the same views. She said that her brother who was arrested by police during nocturnal raid has been lodged in the police station and no police officer is allowing to meet his brother.
There are six teenagers, two from Raj Bagh and four from Padshahi Bagh locked up in Sadar Police Station.
“They are immature but not innocent. We apprehended them on spot while attacking CRPF bunker at Mehjoor Nagar area of Srinagar city on the polling day. We have identified all the stone-pelters and in coming days, we are going to arrest them,” Station House Officer Saddar police station said, adding that it is apathy that parents don’t have control over their children.
Scores of women folk were seen outside police stations located in civil lines areas.
“We have released most of the youth soon after the polling was over. There are some known stone-pelters who are still behind the bar and they will be released once their parents assure us that they will not indulge in violence in future,” a top police official from Srinagar city said.
Relatives of youth who were waiting outside police station Pampore said that their son’s are innocent.
“My brother was arrested after the 2010 summer unrest but after his release, he abjured violence. I fail to understand why he was arrested again when he is innocent,” Irshad Ahmed from Namlabal Pampore said.
“Why don’t you trust police when we tell you that no one is innocent? Come and see yourself, how many vehicles these stone-pelters have damaged. We never arrest any innocent and whosoever has been arrested is a known stone-pelter,” a police official from Pampore police station said.
Scores of parents perplexed with gloomy faces were seen waiting outside police station Pulwama.
“I am not going to tell you that my son is innocent. He participated in procession and stone-pelting on the polling day in Pulwama. My humble submission to Inspector General of police Kashmir Zone is that give a chance to my son and I assure him that he will never indulge in stone-pleting again,” a father of a arrested youth said adding that he is disturbed and desperate to see his educated son out of the lock-up.
“There are at least 20 youth in our lock-up. Every one of them disturbed peace in the town and attacked poll staff and police on the polling day in Pulwama. More arrests are on cards and in coming days, we are going to arrest more youth who have been identified and are known stone-pelters,” a police official said.
Reports said that there are many youth locked up in different police stations in old Srinagar city, however due to ongoing curfew, their relatives are unable to meet them.
“We have almost released everyone who were called to police stations before polling in Srinagar. There are still few youth in lock-ups and they will be released as well,” a top police official said.
When contacted Inspector General of Police Kashmir Abdul Gani Mir said that police is going to release all these stone-pelters in coming days.
“Before their release we will dispatch a team of expert comprising of known psychiatrists and doctors to different police station and would provide counseling to these stone-pelters. We will keep the record of these pelters and release them so that in future they don’t indulge in stone-pleting incidents,” IGP Kashmir Zone said.
Meanwhile, a team of experts led by known Psychologist Dr Muzafar met various stone-pelters at Pulwama police station and interacted with them. Sources said that all the stone-pelters would be released in coming days on the condition that they will abjure violence.
