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One person was killed and two others injured when Central Reserved Police Force personnel opened fire on stone-pelting demonstrators protesting against the alleged desecration of a copy of the holy Quran at Amritsar in Punjab on Thursday.
In Baramulla, CRPF personnel opened fire on a stone-pelting mob resulting in on-the-spot death of one person identified by police as Mehraj-Ud-Din. Sources said two persons who received injuries were shifted to hospital.
Tension gripped the town as news about the killing spread. People gathered in the main chowk and took out a procession. They resorted to pelting of stones, including at security personnel, and blocked traffic by burning tyres on the roads.
They marched towards the local police station demanding Mehraj's body. When police tried to intervene, they were pelted with stones.
Angry mobs also damaged a temple at Ramgath in the town and torched a car belonging to a ruling National Conference block president. The district fire fighting services headquarters was also attacked by mobs.
"They smashed window panes of the building after forcing their way inside," said the duty officer.
Police had to open fire near the Baramulla deputy commissioner's office resulting in injuries to one person who was shifted to a hospital. Senior police and other district officials visited the spot and security has been beefed up in the town.
Curfew was imposed in the border town of Poonch in Jammu region and security personnel deployed in strength after mobs protesting the alleged burning indulged in heavy stone pelting.
A senior police officer said the mobs also pelted stones on shops owned by members of the Hindu and Sikh community. Fearing further trouble, the district administration immediately imposed indefinite curfew.
A report from Doda in Jammu said people took out a procession in the main town immediately after the Friday prayers prompting deployment of police and paramilitary forces as a precautionary measure.
Reports from other towns said protests were held against the alleged Quran burning incident.
In Srinagar, life was affected due to a partial strike. Tight security was in force but all private and government schools in the city remained closed and traffic was light.
Despite the security restrictions, demonstrators indulged in stone pelting in up and downtown localities.
Meanwhile, the body of Shabir Ahmed, allegedly killed in police custody after being picked up by the Border Security Force on Thursday from Nowhatta (in Srinagar) after a shooting incident, was handed over to his relatives.
The alleged custodial killing triggered protests and strikes in Shopian, Shabir's native town, in southern Pulwama district.
ALSO SEE Government initiated ceasefire in J&K
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