Violence in Srinagar during Muharram

SRINAGAR: The police on Wednesday swung bamboo sticks and fired teargas canisters to break up Muharram tazia processions at a few places in Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar, leaving several Shia mourners injured.

The police also detained dozens of mourners as they assembled in the City’s Batamaloo, Regal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street and Moulana Azad Road areas and while chanting religious slogans began marching towards the City centre Lal Chowk.

The police beat them with lathis and also burst teargas shells as the mourners offered stiff resistance and made repeated attempts to march ahead, the witnesses said. They were, however, quickly bundled into police vehicles and then driven to nearby police stations on charge of violating prohibitory orders in force in the area.

Earlier the reinforcements from J&K police and Central armed forces enforced a security lockdown in parts of Srinagar to prevent Shia Muslims from taking out Muharram mourning processions.

Curfew-like restrictions were in force in seven police station areas of the summer capital of the restive state since dawn on Wednesday. The authorities had apprehension that the religious processions marking the eighth day of Muharram might be turned into an anti-India outburst.