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SRINAGAR

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Cop with pellet gun in this file pic.

Teenager from restive Palhallan—whose pellet-mutilated face image went viral on social networking sites, may never see things same again, his father lamented.

“Though his left eye is fine but we are worried about his right one,” said pellet-hit teen Hamid Bhat’s father, Nazir Ahmed.

Hamid was hit by pellet on May 21—the day when Kashmir was observing twin heavyweight assassinations along with Hawal Massacre.

“To pay tributes to Hawal Massacre victims, people in Palhallan had staged peaceful demonstrations,” a local Mushtaq Ahmad said. “But shortly, police started firing indiscriminately from their pellet guns near the Higher Secondary School, Palhalan.”

As a moment of hustle bustle ensued, a 10th class student Hamid on way to meet his friend found himself in the firing line when pellets perforated his skull, forehead and face.

Hamid wasn’t immediately taken to nearby Pattan hospital—“because forces had blocked the road near the general bus stand.” This delayed his treatment for an hour before the locals shifted him to Sumbal hospital, where doctors referred him to Soura Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar for specialized treatment.

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Pellet-hit Palhallan boy, Hamid Bhat

The boy, as per the SKIMS medical superintendent, Dr Farooq Jan, was brought to the institute with multiple pellet head and face injuries, besides had a corneal tear.

Notably, pellet guns have attained notoriety in Kashmir for leaving many boys with blurred eyesight. The use of this weapon to confront street protests in Valley has drawn flak with many human rights organizations vehemently opposing its use for leaving Kashmiri youth maimed.

Meanwhile, condemning the use of deadly pellet fires in Palhallan, senior Hurriyat leader Javaid Ahmad Mir said the use of pellet gun resembles “the brutality of Israel over the Gaza”.

“The boy received major injuries of the deadly pellet gun as a gift of the coalition government led by PDP and BJP,” he said.  “Painfully enough, the lethal pellet gun is now harming and even some time killing people in Kashmir as it is being indiscriminately used to quell protests.”

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