Man found dead with 300 pellets, tension grips Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 3 (IANS) Tempers ran high in Srinagar's old city on Wednesday after a guard at an ATM booth was found dead, with hundreds of pellets fired from close range, officials and residents said.

The cause of Riyaz Ahmad Shah's death was confirmed by an autopsy report. Official sources told IANS that doctors who performed the post-mortem found over 300 pellets in his abdomen.

Shah was found dead early on Wednesday under mysterious circumstances near the Government Medical College in Karan Nagar here. Police had earlier said he died of an injury inflicted by a sharp edged weapon.

But the deceased's family and locals alleged that he was killed by the security forces.

"Those responsible for the cold blooded murder of the youth will be identified and brought to justice," a top government source said here.

With the death of the youth, the total number of people killed in the ongoing cycle of violence that began here on July 9 has risen to 53. These include two policemen.

This was the second death since Tuesday evening after a protester was shot dead on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

"One civilian was killed and another critically injured when the security guard of additional district development commissioner (Ramban) opened fire at a mob that attacked his vehicle at Lethpora in Pulwama district on Tuesday," a senior police officer said.

Scores of protesters on Wednesday blocked roads and raised slogans in Srinagar, alleging the guard had been shot by security forces.

Authorities imposed curfew in south Kashmir areas and restrictions in rest of the Kashmir Valley to maintain law and order.

The restive Kashmir Valley had begun to limp back to some normalcy during the last two days as private transport and pedestrian movement was witnessed in uptown areas of Srinagar after more than three weeks of restrictions and separatist-called shutdown.

Separatists have extended the protest shutdown call till August 5 asking people to resume normal activities after 6 p.m. each day.

All educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities have remained closed since violence started here on July 9, a day after Hizbul commander Burhan Wani's killing by the security forces.

Staff at some government run educational institutions, however, reported for work in the last two days.