Srinagar: Students protesting the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu’s Kathua district clashed with the security forces today in north Kashmir’s Baramulla and south Kashmir’s Shopian districts.
The protesters hit the streets in Shopian town and Delina area of Baramulla pelting stones at the security forces, who responded with tear smoke shells to quell the protests.
The protests occurred despite the authorities suspending class work in educational institutions at many places in Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian and Anantnag districts.
After violent protests at over a dozen places on Wednesday, authorities had taken precautionary measures to avoid a face-off between the agitating students and the forces.
In Shopian Clashes broke out between the police and students in Shopian, resulting in injuries to many students, reports said.
Reports said that scores of students from various coaching centers while protesting against the Kathua rape and murder incident, pelted stones on troops deployed in the area who fired tear smoke shells to disperse them, triggering clashes.
In Budgam Students of Polytechnic college Nagam and Higher Secondary School Nagam, Budgam district also took out a protest march against the brutal rape and murder of Kuthua minor.
Reports said that protesting students assembled at the main Chowk shouting anti-governmental slogans and marched towards Chadoora town demanding punishment for the accused.
The protesting students also blocked the highway near Noora Hospital at Sanatnagar area of Srinagar and hampered the traffic movement.
In Sopore, the students of Government Girls Higher Secondary Sopore assembled at Iqbal Market, Sopore and staged a protest demonstration against the rape and murder of Kathua child.
Student protests were also reported from Rohama Rafiabad area of district Baramulla, demanding capital punishment for the accused.