Srinagar, June 25 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, protests continued in different parts of Srinagar city as a spontaneous strike against the killing of one person in unprovoked firing by the personnel of Centre Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Monday evening brought normal life to a standstill in Srinagar and Ganderbal.

Dozens of people were injured in widespread clashes as the police used massive force against demonstrators. Monday’s killing took place as the CRPF personnel opened fire on demonstrators in Nauhatta, who were protesting against the transfer of forestland to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.

The victim, Feroz Ahmad, hailed from the Haak Bazaar area of Hawal in the lower city. Large number of people in the locality took to the streets on Tuesday morning and burned tyres on the roads after the victim’s body arrived home.

The people poured into the roads in different areas including Nauhatta, Naid Kadal, Bohri Kadal, Rajouri Kadal, Baba Demb, Maisuma, Nawab Bazaar and Gaw Kadal. Shops and business establishments remained closed throughout the city and the transport was off the road. Incidents police brutalities against the protestors were also reported from the Rambagh and Bagh-e-Mahtab localities.

Thousands of people, including a large number of women, took out a peaceful rally from Tawheedabad Chowk to Ganderbal amid a total shut down.  They were protesting against the transfer of forestland to the SASB. The protests took a violent turn when a contingent of police stopped the protesters at Ganderbal Chowk. As the mob resisted, the police resorted to lathi-charge and tear smoke shelling, resulting in injuries to at least 30 persons. The protesters said that after the clashes, the policemen entered nearby residential houses and thrashed the inmates.

Another group of protesters from the Kirhama and Baroosa areas staged a sit-in on the Srinagar-Leh highway and blocked the route by burning tyres on the road. They attacked the police with stones when the latter tried to dislodge them, sparking heavy violence during which the police used cane-charge, tear gas and aerial firing, which resulted in the injury of many protesters. Police also smashed cameras of several photojournalists, while a cameraman was injured while covering the incident. On hearing that one of the injured persons had succumbed to his injuries, the mob went on rampage setting ablaze many vehicles.