SRINAGAR, Feb 11: Life came to a standstill in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday after separatist groups called for a shutdown, in memory of their leader Mohammad Maqbool Bhat who was hanged to death 20 years ago.

Bhat was a co-founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), a separatist group. Shops and small businesses were closed and most government offices were deserted. Cars and buses stayed off the roads. Police said there were no reports of violence.

Bhat was hanged in 1984 for killing an Indian diplomat in London. He was buried in New Delhi's Tihar jail. The JKLF on Wednesday demanded that the Indian government hand over his remains so they can be buried in Kashmir. -dpa