Protester killings put Indian Kashmir on edge
The Indian Kashmir is tense as parts of the valley are under curfew following the killing of three protesters by the security forces on Tuesday. The number of dead reached four today as another protester was killed in fresh clashes Wednesday, in the latest episode of the decades-old conflict in Kashmir.
Three men and a woman were killed in North Kashmir's town of Handwara, 43 miles from Srinagar city, in shootings by security forces during clashes with protesters upset over the alleged molestation of a schoolgirl by an Indian army member.
A 21-year-old budding cricketer Nayeem Ahmad Bhat was among the civilians killed in the firing. Two others are Mohammad Iqbal, 22, and 54-year-old woman Raja Begum. More than 10 people were injured.
Shops and businesses in parts of the state remained shut Wednesday amidst scattered incidents of clashes between police and protesters in the state capital, Srinagar, the main city of Kashmir.
The clashes began after accusation surfaced against an army soldier, who allegedly tried to molest a class 12 schoolgirl inside a washroom near a bunker where the soldier was deployed. The news of the alleged molestation spread in the rural town and soon hundreds of people gathered outside the army bunker in protest, pelting stones and shouting anti-army slogans. Some protesters tried to set the bunker ablaze.
Bashir Ahmad, a local resident told CBS News: "Protesters were demanding that the accused soldier should be handed over to the people."
The state police also arrived at the spot and tried to disperse the protesters. Several bullets were fired at protesters, resulting in the deaths. But who fired at protesters - army or the police - is unclear.
The army and the police have ordered separate investigations into the incident. The army, in a statement, said they "regret" the killings.
Army's spokesperson in Kashmir, Lieutient Colonel NN Joshi told CBS News: "We will investigate all aspects of the incident - the molestation and the firing. If any soldier is found guilty, he will be punished as per the army law."
The Indian Army has also released a short video clip of the girl in which she talks about "beating and harassment" by a local youth, but is silent on the army. "The video suggests there is a (bad) intention to malign the army", Lt. Col. Joshi told CBS News.
Kashmir-based human rights activist Khurram Parvez told CBS News he took exception with the release of the video.
"Is the Army trying to legitimize the civilian killings by releasing this video? Under which law did the army release the video of a young girl's questioning in police custody. This is not even admissible in a court of law," Parvez said.
There could be as many as 700,000 Indian Army soldiers deployed in Kashmir, where a violent insurgency against the Indian rule began in 1989. The army soldiers enjoy a blanket immunity from prosecution in civilian courts for all crimes, including rape and murder. Several human rights organizations have for years demanded that the colonial-era law, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), should be revoked, but the army has advocated for its retention. The law also allows soldiers to search places and arrest people without warrant and kill people on the basis of any suspicion.
Parvez Imroz, a human rights lawyer, who has been fighting the cases of disappeared persons for years told CBS News: "The problem is not just AFSPA. The Army may enjoy the immunity, but other forces also believe they can just kill anyone and get away with it. There is no accountability."
Kashmir has been the key issue of dispute between India and Pakistan for decades. The two countries, both of which claim the disputed region, have fought two major wars over Kashmir. An estimated 60,000 people have been killed in the past 25 years of the armed conflict in Kashmir.