Police has arrested 15 protesters on charges of damaging vehicles and causing inconvenience to the people travelling on the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway on Monday.
Around 11 protesters, 47 security personnel sustained injuries after a group of youth protesting against the rape of a minor girl at Bandipora resorted to intense stone pelting on police at Chenbal Pattan. Over fifty vehicles including two ambulances too were damaged in the incident.
“We have arrested 15 protesters so far whose action led to mayhem on the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway on Monday. Several other protesters identified for the violence will be arrested soon” said Abdul Qayoom, senior superintendent of police Baramulla. “No one will be allowed to disrupt the peace”.
Meanwhile, traffic movement on Srinagar-Baramulla national highway came to a grinding halt for the third consecutive day on Tuesday, after protesters at Chenbal, Mirgund and Hanjiveera area of Pattan staged protest against the rape incident.
The protestors did not allow civilian traffic movement for up to 2 pm. “I had to reach a Srinagar hospital to attend a patient. However, I was stranded on the road for more than three hours since morning,” said Amir Rashid, a passenger, travelling from Baramulla. “Vehicles belonging to security forces are allowed to move while civilian traffic movement has been halted”.
Police officials said that the traffic movement on the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway was restored after 2 pm.
Meanwhile, students of Boys and Girls Higher secondary school Boniyar staged protest against the rape incident. The protesting students marched through the main market and latter dispersed peacefully.
Agencies
