Centre takes note of Narbal killing

Asks forces to exercise restraint while dealing with protests

Taking note of the Narbal, Budgam, incident in which a teenager was killed in police firing, Ministry of Home Affairs has asked forces to avoid such killings in future and exercise restraint while quelling protests.
Suhail Ahmad Sofi (16), a class 10 student of Narbal Ghat, Magam Budgam, was killed when cops of J&K police fired at a group of youth near Narbal Sumo stand last Saturday. The killing evoked massive protests across Kashmir.
“We have taken note of the incident. The Government and the forces have been informed about our concern over the issue,” a top MHA official told on the basis of anonymity. He said that such incidents derail the prevailing peaceful environment of Kashmir. “We have asked the state government not to allow anybody to disrupt the peaceful environment,” he said.
The official said that last year two elections (Parliamentary and Assembly) were held in peaceful atmosphere and people exercised their franchise in large numbers. “Kashmir is comparatively free of major law and order/civil disturbances for past two years,” he said adding that such incidents could lead to disturbance. “So there is urgent need to avoid such incidents.”
The MHA official said that the Ministry has asked forces operating in J&K to exercise maximum restraint while dealing with any law and order problem in future. “Besides restraint, we have asked the forces to use such weapons which would not lead to deaths,” he said adding that police and paramilitary forces are equipped with such weapons.
At the same time, the official said, forces have been asked to keep watch on the people who have remained on forefront in disruption of peace in Kashmir. “The forces have been asked not to give any chance to such people,” he said adding there was urgency to keep a close watch of these people. “In case of any problem, their movement needs to be curtailed.”
The official said that there is already a strategy to deal with any evolving situation. “Centre is working in tandem with the state government and there has been a multi-pronged approach to contain disturbance in J&K,” he said adding that things are being controlled in light of that approach.
In the Narbal incident, police have arrested two of its cops including a middle-rung officer who according to preliminary investigation opened fire in violation of laid down Standard Operating Procedure.