Srinagar:
The anger was visible on the streets of south Kashmir's Kulgam district, after a woman alleged that she was abducted and raped by two army men repeatedly for two days.
Shouting slogans against the Army, the protesting villagers demanded punishment to guilty. They say the married woman was abducted from the village Manzgam and raped for two days in a dwelling.
"These soldiers should be arrested. They should be produced before the people and punished. This is our demand," said Shiraz Ahmad Khan, a villager.
Police say they have filed an FIR of abduction and rape against uniformed men after the victim deposed before the Magistrate. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the incident.
But that is too little to calm the streets of Kulgam. With the Shopian protest still fresh in public memory, the state government doesn't want to take chances.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has promised action against the guilty and said AFSPA will not serve as a shield, and the troops deployed in the village will be subjected to identification parade to identify if any trooper was involved.
But PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti who visited the village and staged a dharna, was not impressed. She says government has not delivered justice in such cases in the past.
"It should be properly investigated. Whoever has raped this woman and those involved in it should be punished," said Mehbooba Mufti, PDP leader.
The army says although it is not possible for two Armymen to remain detached from the unit for two days without being noticed, it is not foreclosing any possibility. The Army has promised full cooperation with the police investigation and has also instituted its own inquiry.
"If there is any truth in it, then it's a criminal act and strictest action must be taken," said Lt Gen SA Hasnain, Corps Commander 15 corps.
While Army say it does not rule out chinks in its armour, they insist that there are shades of grey and it's not an open and shut case. And as the separatists have called for a strike against the alleged abduction and rape, the incident has threatened fragile peace in Kashmir.