Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

CRPF to pull out from Baramulla town

July 01, 2009 09:27 IST

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday night  decided to replace the paramilitary, central reserve police force (CRPF) with Jammu and Kashmir armed police (JKAP) in Baramulla town, after one more youth died in the CRPF firing in the town.

A police spokesman here said that "it has been decided to replace the CRPF deployments with JKAP in the town immediately".

This follows a visit to the town by two senior coalition ministers who held a meeting with senior police, CRPF and local officials besides prominent citizens in Baramulla.

One more youth died late Tuesday evening in the Khanpora locality in Baramulla town in the firing by the CRPF raising the death toll in clashes between the security forces and protestors since yesterday to three and the number of injured to over two dozen.

A government spokesman said 'a case of murder has been registered against CRPF person who had reportedly fired without any provocation at Khanpora, Baramulla this evening as a result of which one person died'.

The spokesman added that 'the CRPF authorities have been asked to hand over the CRPF person to Baramulla police against whom murder case has been registered for arrest and investigation'. 

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar