High Court seeks report on FIRs filed against rising Braid-chopping incidents

Asks police to disclose within two days incidents reported

Taking cognisance of a public interest litigation alleging harassment of women due to the mysterious braid-chopping incidents, the J&K High Court has sought a status report from the police, explaining the total number of FIRs registered into the braid-cutting incidents and also the number of such reports received across the state.
These directions were issued today by a division bench of the High Court headed by Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad in response to a PIL by lawyer Hilal Ahmad Lone, in which it was submitted that people, in particular women, were harassed by the braid-chopping incidents reported day in and day out from different parts of Kashmir.
State counsel BA Dar submitted that the government had already constituted a special investigation team of the police to probe braid-chopping besides keeping a reward of Rs 6 lakh for credible information leading to the arrest of any person behind braid-chopping incidents.
While issuing notices to the respondents, including the state government through the Commissioner Secretary, Home, DGP, Divisional Commissioner and members of the SIT, the court has sought the status report from the government within two days, indicating how many FIRs have been lodged to date and the total braid-chopping cases that have taken place across the state.
The court further asked the police to take action to nab the miscreants behind such incidents and deal with them in accordance with the law.
Women protest govt’s ‘failure’ to ensure security
Women held protests at several places today against the alleged braid-chopping menace that has gripped the region.
Protests erupted in the downtown area of Srinagar city at two places. The women took to streets, demanding action against the accused at Karfali Mohalla and Nawab Bazar localities in old Srinagar city.
The protesters alleged that a braid-chopping incident took place in Karfali Mohalla of Habba Kadal.
Earlier in the day, women activists of the opposition National Conference took out a protest demonstration from the party’s Nawa-i-Subh office to Polo View to protest the “government’s” failure to ensure security of women and curb braid-chopping incidents.
Even as the police are clueless about the alleged braid-chopping incidents, self-styled vigilantes at several places thrashed innocents, mistaking them for braid-choppers.
Last night, people caught hold of three persons and thrashed them badly, suspecting them to be braid-choppers. However, no chopped hair was recovered from the three during police investigation and no chopping incident was reported from the area, the police said.