Baramulla remains tense after protestor's death

The situation in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla town remained tense for the second consecutive day on Saturday, as people defied prohibitory orders and clashed with the police, after a 13-year-old boy allegedly died in police action on Friday evening.

The youths, demanding stern action against the erring policemen, took to the streets and pelted stones on police and paramilitary forces deployed in the town to enforce prohibitory orders, the sources said.

Irfan Ahmad Lone was on Friday killed and four others were injured when police resorted to baton charge and fired teargas shells to quell a demonstration in the town to protest the continuing house arrest of hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Geelani was placed under house arrest at his Hyderpora residence in Srinagar on September 9, a day after he was released on court orders, after 95 days of imprisonment under the Public Safety Act.

While police claimed that the boy died of a heart attack, locals allege that he was hit by a teargas shell on his head. Deputy Commissioner of Police in Baramulla Lateef-e-Zeman Deva today ordered a magisterial inquiry in the alleged killing.

Superintendent of Police Baramulla V Kumar said police fired teargas shells on Friday when the mob tried to attack the local police station. One of the protesters was injured in the clashes, who later succumbed to his injuries in Srinagar.

"As per initial reports, the boy died of cardio-vascular attack on the spot. But we are waiting for the final reports to initiate the inquiry," Kumar said.