Kashmir shuts down to protest killing of 3 men

SRINAGAR:

Most parts of Indian Kashmir shut down on Wednesday after militants called a strike to protest the killing of three men, whose bullet-riddled bodies were discovered in an orchard two days ago.

Police claim that the deceased were local militants who were killed by rival rebel factions in the conflict-stricken valley. However, militant leaders argue that they were killed in police custody.

Shops and schools were closed and university exams were cancelled as workers went on strike. Indian government responded by deploying hundreds of police and paramilitary troops to patrol the deserted streets of Srinagar and other major towns. Additionally, Indian police confined militant leaders to their homes to stop them from leading protests.

“We are investigating the killings, but it seems these are a result of group rivalry among the militants,” K. Rajendra, director general of police for Indian Kashmir, told AFP.

On Monday villagers at Dangerpora, 35 kilometres north of Srinagar, had discovered the bodies. The three men, all in their early twenties, had multiple bullet wounds and bore torture marks.

Police later identified the three men as local militants who had joined a splinter faction of the valley’s largest militant group, the Hizbul Mujahideen, months earlier — a claim denied by the group.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th,  2015.