Srinagar, April 3
The police lobbed teargas shells to disperse a procession of Shia Muslims on the Moulana Azad road in violating of the prohibitory orders here today. Seventy persons, including two senior Shia and Hurriyat leaders — Mr Moulvi Abbas Ansari and Mr Javed Ahmad Mir — were taken into preventive custody.

The procession had been disallowed for law and order reasons. The procession scheduled to be taken out from Guru Bazaar to Dalgate had not been allowed, the police said. However, a procession of over 200 mourners appeared near the Central Telegraph Office and started a march towards Dalgate. Several mourners were injured in a clash with the police. Sources confirmed that only two Muharram processions, one from Guru Bazaar to Dalgate and the Ashoora procession from Abi Guzar to Zadibal had been disallowed. The police had definite reports about “vested interests” creating trouble during these procession, the sources said. Minutes after the clash, another group of Shias tried to take out a procession in the Dalgate area. But, the police used batons and fired teargas shells to disperse them a PTI report said. The sources said the agitated Shias indulged in stone throwing at Dalgate.

A policeman stops a Muharram procession in Srinagar on Tuesday. The police arrested 12 Shia Muslims, including a senior leader, and used teargas to disperse the procession.  —Reuters photo

Activity in Lal Chowk and Dalgate, besides the adjoining areas, came to a standstill following the clashes. Shopkeepers immediately downed shutters and traffic movement was also affected.

Meanwhile, Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian has threatened to take out its Muharram procession on Ashoora Day here “despite restrictions imposed by the administration” even as the Chief Minister has assured its leaders security for the procession.

Mr Agha Syed Hassan Al-Mousvi, Vice-President of Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian, claimed here today that the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, had sent letters to the organisation that such processions were banned.

Addressing a Press conference here this morning, the Shia leader said the Ashoora procession would be taken out from Abi-Guzar in the central Lal Chowk area to Ali Park, Zadibal, in any case. He said the APHC and other leaders had been informed about the Shias’ resolve to take out a procession.

He appealed to people of the valley to join the procession, adding that efforts were on to create wedge between the Shia and Sunni communities.

He questioned the alleged stand of the government to ban religious processions like Ashoora and Id-e-Meelad. He also condemned the firing incident at Magam in Budgam district yesterday, where over six Shia processionists were injured in police firing.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, had called on the President of Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian, Mr Aga Syed Mustafa al-Safvi al-Mousvi, at Budgam yesterday. He also met other Shia leaders and discussed with them the arrangements regarding Muharram and Ashoora processions. Dr Abdullah assured them security.

Earlier, the Chief Minister reviewed the law and order situation and arrangements regarding Muharram at a high-level meeting held here yesterday. He was briefed about the arrangements made in this connection.

Meanwhile, the ASP of Sopore, Mr Showkat Ahmad Malik, has been asked to probe the police firing at Badgam district, an official spokesman said today.

The IGP, Mr Ashok Bhan, has asked Mr Malik to submit his report at the earliest.

Meanwhile, 10 persons, including three militants, were killed in separate incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

The police said three militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad were killed in an encounter with the police and security forces at Gagaldosa, near Tangmarg in Baramula district. Three AK rifles, 10 magazines, 220 rounds and one pistol were recovered from the site of the encounter. One house was gutted in the exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces.

A police constable was killed and four of his colleagues injured when the militants ambushed a convoy of the SP, Sopore at Hygam while returning from Magam, Tangmarg, late last evening. The escort vehicle was caught in the ambush, leading to the death of constable Habibullah, driver of the vehicle. The escort party repulsed the attack and kept on firing, forcing the militants to run away.

The militants shot dead Mohammad Shafi Lone, formerly associated with the Ikhwan group or counter-insurgents, at Potkhah, near Sopore in Baramula district.

A security force jawan was killed and another erinjured when the militants opened fire on a patrol party at Vardhasma in the Bandipore area of Baramula yesterday.

An unidentified militant was killed while an SPO was injured in an exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces at Khansaheb in Budgam district.

A former SPO, Ghulam Nabi Najar, was shot dead by the militants at Kondabal, Pampore, in Pulwama district yesterday, a police spokesman stated here today.

A security force jawan was killed when an explosive device went off at Ujh village in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district in the Jammu region today.

The militants killed Chulam Mohammad Khanday, an employee of Cooperative Bank, Kishtwar, at Keshwan in Doda district in Jammu today.