Pulwama, March 16, KNT: A complete shutdown was observed in south Kashmir’s Tral town on Saturday against the arrest of five youths allegedly involved in vandalising a branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank a day earlier.
The incident occurred after Friday prayers when a procession passed through the area. According to police, some participants in the gathering became agitated after allegedly noticing individuals taking photographs from a building housing the bank branch. Windows and doors of the bank were smashed and the ATM unit was also damaged during the unrest.
Sub Divisional Police Officer Tral, Aijaz Rasool told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that several youths were identified for damaging the bank property and were subsequently brought to the police station after their parents were informed. He said he was not aware of any strike call linked directly to the arrests.
The arrested youths, all residents of Tral Payeen Tral were identified as Aqib Ahmed Dhobi, Suhail Ahmed Wani, Irshad Farooq, Waseen Khan and Mohammad Ashraf Zargar. Locals expressed resentment over the arrests, leading to a shutdown in the town.
In a separate development, reports surfaced that a youth from Karsoo Padshahi Bagh area of Srinagar outskirts had been booked under the Public Safety Act in connection with alleged stone pelting. However, a senior police officer told KNT that no such detention had been executed as sanction from the District Magistrate had not been received.
Police said further investigation into the Tral vandalism case is underway. [KNT]
