A protest broke out in Budgam district of India’s Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday after a civilian was shot dead by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The CRFP officer said that he fired at a man after he jumped two checkpoints, fearing “sabotage”.
As hundreds gathered in Budgam to protest against the killing, the local authority has ordered the suspension of internet connections as a precautionary measure. Several videos emerged on social media showing that scores of women took to the streets to protest the killing and chanted slogans.
Family & locals in Budgam protest against killing of Peer Mehraj-ud-Din who was shot at and killed by the CRPF personnel at Narbal on the outskirts of #Srinagar allegedly for jumping two checkpoints. His uncle is a @JmuKmrPolice official and his brother is a cop as well. #Kashmir pic.twitter.com/vKl88VdX3Y
— Hakeem Irfan (@HakeemIrfan) May 13, 2020
#Kashmir: Women Protests in the native village of the civilian from #Budgam who was killed in the outskirts of Srinagar after paramilitary CRPF forces fired at him claiming he fled two checkpoints. @asianewsteam ... #Budgamkilling pic.twitter.com/CzmG8lZcVc
— سلیم قادری (@SaleemQadri_) May 13, 2020
A civilian, identified as Peer Mehrajudin, the son of Ghulam Nabi, was travelling in his car when CRPF personnel stationed at Kawoosa Khalisa village tried to stop him. As he did not stop at the check-post, security personnel opened fire at his car.
“A civil vehicle fled from two check post in Narbal Kawoosa. Upon which CRPF party fired in which one person got injured. He has been shifted to hospital,” Senior Superintendent of Police Nagpure Amod, Budgam said confirming the death of the civilian.
The injured was taken to the SMHS hospital in capital city Srinagar in critical condition where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
For the past one month, Kashmir has witnessed a massive surge in terror incidents in which 37 terrorists, 19 security personnel and five civilians have been killed.
Internet services were restored on 12 May in the Kashmir valley after five days of suspension following a major skirmish in which the top commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group, Riyaz Naikoo, was killed by security forces.
Indian-administered Kashmir has remained in the attention of both national and international media after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government scrapped the special status of the state and divided it into two federally-administered territories last August.