SRINAGAR: Police shot dead a 16-year-old boy on Saturday during a demonstration in India-held Kashmir as a strike shut down the Himalayan region, officials said.

The uncle of the boy said police first detained his nephew before shooting him at point-blank range in front of many other protesters.

Police said they would investigate the uncle’s allegations while admitting that officers had breached normal protocol and saying they regretted the incident.

Statement admits that personnel violated standard operating procedure

The shooting happened during a protest on the outskirts of Srinagar against a government crackdown on leaders — the second day of violent clashes in the disputed state.

“The boy died of bullet wounds,” Aijaz Mustafa, a local hospital spokesman, said.

Three others were also wounded, witnesses said.

“The police officer took my nephew aside and then shot him point-blank as we watched,” Tariq Ahmed Sofi, the boy’s uncle, said.

Javid Gillani, inspector general of police for the region, said: “if that is true it will come out.

“We will speak to him (the boy’s uncle) and investigate his version of the boy’s killing,” he added.

A separate police statement appeared to admit that there had been police wrongdoing. We “regret the unfortunate incident”, the statement said.

“A preliminary enquiry conducted into the matter indicates that the forces deployed have acted in violation of the laid-down SOP (Standard Operating Procedure),” it added.

Kashmir has been rocked by violent protests after the brother of a top leader was killed by the army near the town of Tral in the south of the Kashmir valley.

Shops, businesses and schools remained shut on Saturday across several towns in the state in response to a strike led by veteran leader Syed Ali Geelani against what he called “state terrorism” and “poisonous propaganda” by Indian media.

Authorities have put all top leaders under house arrest to prevent them from leading protests.

On Friday, 30 people, mainly police officers, were injured as pro-Pakistan demonstrators set fire to an Indian flag and hurled rocks at them as protests over the arrest of another leader turned violent.

Masarat Alam Bhat was arrested on Friday, two days after he raised pro-Pakistan slogans at a peaceful rally in which activists waved Pakistani flags.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2015

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