No let up in braid chopping incidents, KEA asks Govt to stop the menses

• People stage protests at many places, blame admin of shielding culprits
• Most victims are psychiatric patients or 10 standard failures: IGP
• KEA asks Govt to stop braid chopping incidents

A series of fresh braid chopping incidents were reported from south, north and central Kashmir Thursday triggering protests at several places with people blaming the administration for “shielding the culprits”.
The braid of a 40-year old woman was chopped by unknown persons at Nowdal village of Tral in South Kashmir’s district Pulwama last evening.
According to her family members, the victim was attacked when she tried to enter into washroom outside her house.
In another incident, the braid of a girl hailing from Uri was chopped off at Khojabagh in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, where she has been living in a private quarter with her parents.
A young woman foiled an alleged braid chopping attempt on her in DangarMohalla of Kaloosa area of Bandipora district in north Kashmir today.
The family members of the woman said an unknown person tried to cut her braid after she came out of the washroom at about 6 am.
“The unknown person had managed to enter inside the house and was waiting for her to come out of the washroom. When she came out, the attacker tried to chop her hair with a knife,” they said adding the woman resisted and tried to catch the braid chopper but he managed to escape from the window of the kitchen.
In Baghat area of Srinagar city, a woman said her braid was chopped when she had come out from her house to dump the garbage into a dust bin on the road.
The braid of a woman was also cut inside her house in Singhpora area of Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
“Her mother-in-law raised an alarm following which locals rushed towards the house and nabbed the attackers,” the locals said.
The locals staged protests and blocked the traffic on the highway after police took both the alleged braid choppers in their custody.
Police fired tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesters.
The braid chopping incident was also reported from Samboora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
“Youth were able to apprehend a braid chopper after he cut hair of a married woman in Bujibagh locality of Samboora,” the locals said.
They said the force personnel, who reached the area instantly, tried to save the braid chopper but the youth did not let them take him away.
The agitated locals staged protests and clashed with the force personnel, who fired tear smoke shells to disperse them.
About a dozen locals and eight policemen were injured during the clashes, which continued for few hours.
SSP AwantiporaZahid Malik, howeer, denied that any braid chopping incident had taken place in Bujibagh, Samboora.
“No incident of braid chopping was reported in Bujibagh area. We received no such complaint but on the basis of rumours some locals had taken a UP resident, working as a sand digger in the area, in their custody and accused him of being a braid chopper. When the police asked the locals to hand him over to them, the youth resorted to stone pelting and after the intervention of DC Pulwama and elders of the area, we were able to secure his release after four hours. He has received multiple injuries during the thrashing. During clashes some civilians and policemen too received minor injuries”, he said.
Meanwhile, students of Government Degree College Pulwama and Higher Secondary School Pulwama took out a protest rally in main town Pulwama against braid chopping incidents. They were demanding action against the braid choppers.
Minor clashes erupted in Pulwama town after police intercepted the protesting students.
The surge in braid chopping incidents has created fear among the women folk, forcing people to take to roads to pressurise government to act against the braid choppers.
At many places in Srinagar and other parts of valley including Singhpora, Pattan, women staged protests and asked the government to seriously go after the braid choppers.
“When police can find militants from deep hide-outs, why is it impossible for them to trace out the braid choppers,” the protestors said.
The Special Investigation Teams (SITs) formed by police to probe the braid chopping incidents have not been able to achieve any breakthrough so far.
IGP Kashmir, Muneer Ahmad Khan told Kashmir Post that they won’t be able to dispose off a single case until the victims don’t cooperate with police.
“Most of the braid chopping victims are either ‘psychiatric patients’ or have failed in 10th or 12th standard,” he said.
Khan said the braid chopping incident at Barzulla was actually done by the maid of the victim. “Her maid had chopped her braid during the night when she was asleep”.
About other incidents, he said in most cases, they have found that these cases were either “boyfriend-girlfriend issues or other related personal things.”
He ruled out that the braid chopping spread from south Kashmir to other parts of Kashmir. “It spread from Uttar Pradesh to Rajasthan and then to Haryana. Now it is happening in our state”.
In a related fresh development, police has set up committees comprising the women members of NGOs, Social Welfare department and female cops of J&K police so that the braid chopping victims can comfortably record their statements.
“Yes, we have constituted committees which only include female members so that the victims can feel safe and comfortably record their statements,” the IGP said.
He said anti-national elements have started taking advantage of such incidents to create law and order problems.
“For God sake, don’t go by the rumours, cooperate with us. We will solve the mystery,” he added.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman said the girl, who had alleged that her braid had been chopped off at Khawajabad in Baramulla during the night told police that she was sleeping in the same room with her parents.
“There seems to be no possibility of any outsider making entry into the room,” he said.
“During further investigation, it was found that the victim girl is suffering from psychiatric ailment with dissociate symptoms and has been undergoing medical treatment for that. She was examined by psychiatrist on September 28 with a follow up check up yesterday only in District Hospital Baramulla. Today also a psychiatrist called by police to examine her and the report is awaited,” he said.
The spokesman said the girl claimed that braid chopper made entry through wall and escaped through closed door, which manifests conversion disorder (hysteria).
“Police has also recovered a fresh shaving blade from the spot. Further investigation of the case is going on, taking into account all circumstances and facts,” he said.
The father of the girl is a policeman.

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) Thursday asked government to stop braid chopping incidents, which have created fear psychosis in the Valley.
“The braid chopping of women is a serious issue. If government does not stop the inhuman act of braid chopping by arresting the culprits, then Kashmir will witness 2016 uprising again and all the women will hit the streets to protect their dignity,” said KEA acting chairman Farooq Ahmad Dar.
He was addressing traders during a protest against braid chopping incidents.
The traders took out a protest rally towards Ghanta-Ghar, LalChowk amidst chanting of anti-government slogans.
“The braid chopping incidents started in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and from last twenty days this inhuman wave has gripped the Valley,” KEA chairman said.
He said the braid chopping incidents need to be stopped “before our mothers, daughters and sisters will come out on roads and paralyse functioning of the government.”
“The braid chopping is a programme of many agencies, who are trying to divert attention of people from Kashmir issue towards these incidents,” Dar said.
The KEA chairman said if the brutal acts are not stopped immediately then the education sector in Kashmir will be worst hit. “After braid chopping incidents, many girls are in shock and anxious to go to the school.”