Shut down continuing in Shopian SRINAGAR: Life remained crippled - TopicsExpress

Shut down continuing in Shopian SRINAGAR: Life remained crippled in south Kashmir,S Shopian district as people refused to resume normal activities dispite the authorities lifted curfew after fifteem days on September 22. The residents are demanding immediate shifting of CRPF camp from Gagran area, where four people were killed in the firing on September 7, forcing authorities to impose curfew next morning following massive protests. Besides, the residents demanded stern action against CRPF personnel involved in the killing of five people at Gagran and withdrawal of cases registered against the youths for alleged stone pelting. The authorities lifted curfew for some hours but it was reimposed later on September 11 after a school bus driver was killed in security force firing on demonstrators at Gagran. Shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads even after curfew restrictions were lifted on September 22 morning, following improvement in the situation. Transport also remained off the roads and work in goverment offices, banks and educational institutions remained affected. The residents are demanding total shifting of CRPF camp from Gagran and action against the security force personnel involved in these killings. However, some CRPF personnel were shifted to other place. The government has appointed District Magistrate (DM), Shopian, Bashir Ahmad Bhat to conduct an inquiry into these killings. Statements of a number of witnesses were recorded by Mr Bhat, who has extended the date of recording statements. However, police claimed that one of the four people killed in the firing on September 7 was a Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Abdullah Haroon.