660 detained in Kupwara, Bandipora; 56 booked under Public Safety Act

250 FIRs registered, raids continue to arrest 500 more

In Kupwara and Bandipora districts of north Kashmir, over 660 persons have been detained during the ongoing unrest. 160 people are still in lockups while 500 others were released on bail, 56 have so far been booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) and above 250 FIRs have been registered during the ongoing unrest.
In these areas police is looking up for around 500 more youths and raids are continuously being carried out to arrest them.
Residents allege harassment at the hands of joint parties of security forces who carry out raids to arrest the youth during night.
The police data accessed by Kashmir Post reveals that 109 people are still lodged in different police stations of Kupwara. It adds that above 300 youth have been bailed out. In the district 14 people have so far been booked under PSA and more are on cards.
The data reveals that in Kupwara, 183 FIRs have been registered. In these FIR’s above 550 people have shown involved in street protests, disruption of peace and organizing of protests.
In the Bandipora district, above 40 people are languishing in different police stations and over 200 have been released on bail. It adds that 33 people have so far been booked under PSA and over 300 are wanted in about 95 FIRs registered in different police stations of the district.
In the police district Handwara (in Kupwara district) about 10 persons have been booked under PSA and 30 are lodged in different police stations. The police have also registered 40 FIRs and more than 100 people are wanted.
A senior police official here said that hunt is on to arrest the wanted youth. He said that those who are found involved will not go scot free.
The continuous nocturnal raids by police have forced scores of youth in these districts to go into hiding, even as residents allege harassment at the hands of forces who barge into residential areas at night time.
The night raids are being conducted, almost daily, in Kupwara, Handwara, and Bandipora jointly by police, army and paramilitary forces to nab youth who are allegedly involved in stone-throwing and street protests, during the past 85 days of anti-India uprising triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. The residents alleged that joint police parties harass inmates after they fail to locate the youth who have mostly gone into hiding to evade arrest.