Life was crippled across Kashmir valley on Monday due to a strike called by separatists to protest against the death of two women under mysterious circumstances in Shopian.
Shops, business establishments, banks, educational institutions and courts were closed in the city and other major towns of the valley.
Attendance in government offices was thin and public and private transport kept off the roads.
The strike was called by hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and supported by other separatist outfits to protest against the alleged rape and murder of two women identified as Nelofar (22) and Asiya (17) in Shopian on Saturday last.
Geelani also sought the removal of the army from the state.
In old city, authorities imposed restrictions on the movement of people.
However, police said no curfew has been imposed but prohibitory orders under section 144 CRPC have been imposed to maintain law and order.
Reports from district towns said there was a near-total response to the strike with business establishments remaining closed in Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, Bandipora, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam and transport off the roads.
The situation in Shopian continued to be tense for the third consecutive day today with villagers taking to the streets and demanding that the culprits be brought to justice.
Residents of Bonagam, the native village of the victims, set a deadline for the government to produce the guilty before the public by Tuesday failing which they would launch an agitation.
"Till tomorrow, when the fourth day ceremony of the deceased would be observed, we are busy with the last rites and by then the government should make public the post-mortem report and identify the culprits behind the crime", the residents said.
If the government fails to produce the culprits before the people, we will launch a massive agitation and start an indefinite strike, they added.
The bodies of the two were recovered on Saturday last after they went missing from their orchards in Shopian on Friday evening, sparking off massive protests in the town and adjoining areas for third day on Monday.
