Martyrs’ graveyard vandalized at Karimabad, locals blame forces

Protests erupted in Karimabad village in this south Kashmir district on Friday following desecration of a local martyrs’ graveyard by unknown persons during the previous night, witnesses said.

According to reports, the residents of Karimabad woke up to see vandalized epitaphs and tombstones of scores of graves of slain militants at Karimabad Martyrs Graveyard.

Two local militants were killed in gunfights in the past week and laid to rest at this graveyard following which massive clashes were witnessed in the area.

Local residents said they were shocked to see vandalized tombstones on Friday morning.

“We came to this graveyard this morning only to see wide-scale destruction here. Tombstones and epitaphs on graves of militants killed in the past many years were broken and dislodged,” Ghulam Nabi Gulstan, a member of local Auqaf committee, told . “This vandalism is condemnable. Those who did this shameful act should be hanged. They had done this desecration with their shoes,” another Aquaf member said.

Locals said it was the “act of forces.”

Pertinently, after the death of a local militant on Thursday, several youth hijacked a mobile bunker of police from main town Pulwama and later set it ablaze.

“Why would they destroy my brother’s grave; he was martyred 15 years ago,” said Fayaz Ahmad.

Locals held protests and demanded action against the accused. “If our demands are not fulfilled within 10 days, we will go for complete strike in Pulwama town,” they said. “We demand stringent punishment to those who desecrated our graveyard. The guilty should be arrested and punished.”

On its part, police refuted the allegations that forces were involved in desecration of graves.

“Such rumours are being spread by miscreants and are completely baseless,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Pulwama, Rayees Muhammad Bhat, said.

He said “no such thing has happened and it was an attempt to prevent arrests in yesterday’s arson near Karimabad where some miscreants torched a police vehicle.”

He said FIR No 123-2016 under sections 307, 392, 435, 148, 149 and 332 of RPC stands registered in the vehicle burning case.

“The miscreants involved have been identified and action will be initiated soon,” Bhat told .

The SSP assured people that vandalism in the graveyard will be “thoroughly investigated.”

Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed in Pulwama district for the third consecutive day Friday against killing of three militants in two different encounters at Gudoora and Vehil Shopian. All roads wore a deserted look while shops and other establishments were closed.

Forces were deployed in town Pulwama to thwart any attempt of protests. However in the afternoon youth took to streets at Newa and clashed with forces.

“Youths pelted stones on forces and in retaliation the cops lobbed tear smoke shells and pellets, triggering heavy clashes. Dozens of persons including a policeman were injured in the clashes. Many youth sustained pellet injuries,” witnesses said.

Scores of youth were injured in Shopian clashes also, with two of them sustaining pellet injuries.

A complete shutdown was observed in Shopian district also to mourn the death of two militants in Vehil village on Thursday.

In the afternoon, clashes erupted between youths and forces near Bona baazar area.