The protestors allegedly threw stones at the security forces leading to firing.
Highlights
- Protests after reports of a girl allegedly molested by security forces
- Forces say they opened fire because prostesters threw stones at them
- Army said they will probe the matter and guilty will be punished
Three people, including a budding cricketer and a 70-year-old woman, were killed and five others were injured when security forces opened fire on protesters in Handwara in north Kashmir. The protests began after news spread that a college girl had allegedly been molested by security forces.
Police say security forces opened fire when protesters threw stones at them.
"Yes, one protester has been killed in the firing by security forces" a senior police officer had earlier confirmed. Later, sources confirmed that two others who were injured in the firing died in hospital. One of them was an elderly woman who remained critical till Tuesday evening. She was later moved to a hospital in Srinagar but was declared dead on arrival.
The Army issued a statement saying it "deeply regrets the unfortunate loss of life."
"The matter will be investigated and anybody found guilty will be dealt with as per the law," it said.
"There was an allegation that a girl had been misbehaved with by one of the personnel who was deployed on duty. After that, a crowd assembled near a bunker which is located in the main town. They tried to ransack it and set it on fire, the forces fired in retaliation in who two people got injured who later succumbed," Javed Gilani, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, told NDTV.
The police say they have registered a case at the police station in Handwara.
The firing led to more protests, sources said, adding that reinforcements had been rushed to the area.