Kashmir man crushed by paramilitary force vehicle during Friday protests
Neighborhood residents say the armored vehicle drove wildly into a crowd of anti-India protesters in Kashmir’s largest city, slamming into a half-dozen people and crushing one man beneath its wheels, injuring him critically.
Officials say that’s nonsense, and that the vehicle was surrounded by a crowd of angry young men, some of whom fell beneath the jeep-like car when they tried to pull the soldiers out and lynch them. “It was a situation created by the crowd. We showed extreme restraint,” said Sanjay Sharma, a spokesman for the paramilitary force involved.
A police officer offered a third version. The vehicle, he said, accidentally strayed into an area crowded with protesters, then struck some people when the nervous driver realized what had happened and tried to get quickly away.
“It was a mistake,” said the police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to comment.
An Associated Press photographer captured the horror in a series of photographs, though even he couldn’t see how everything transpired.
Protesters regularly spill into the streets of Srinagar after Friday prayer services, demanding an end to New Delhi’s rule over Indian-controlled Kashmir.
“Police and soldiers were standing at a safe distance from the crowd, avoiding confrontation. And then from nowhere this vehicle ran into the crowd,” said resident Reyaz Ahmed.
The vehicle rocked back and forth for about 30 seconds when a man was caught beneath it, finally driving away from the furious crowd. He was hospitalized in critical condition. It was not immediately clear if he was a protester or onlooker.
Officials say another man hit by the car died a few hours after the accident. His funeral was expected later Saturday, and officials were gearing up for protests.
India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, a charge Pakistan denies.
Most Kashmiris support the rebels’ cause while also participating in civilian street protests against Indian control. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.
Press journalist for HRO media – Khizer Hayat reports.
Category: International
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