Shutdown, protest in Sumbal, traders threaten indefinite strike if teen not released
Rehan Showkat
Srinagar: Amid a complete shutdown, scores of people on Monday staged a protest demonstration against the arrest of local youth by Delhi Police last week.
Reports reaching GNS said that the local residents and traders staged a protest against the arrest of Hilal Ahmad Bhat (19) son of Abdul Majeed Bhat.
Hilal, a shopkeeper by profession was summoned by police station Sumbal on January 22, the family told GNS. The family said that after being summoned they took Hilal and produced him before SHO Sumbal.
Police later informed that he will be released around 5 pm, the family said, adding that later they came to know that police was preparing the documents of Hilal pertaining to his handover to Delhi police.
“Hilal is running a barber shop at Sumbal and his family have no source of income to reach to New Delhi”, the traders said.
Today, the protesters including the women while holding the placards which read “Justice for Hilal”, “Kashmiris are not terrorists” urged the district administration and police authorities to intervene into the issue.
The Sumbal town meanwhile observed a complete shutdown on the call by the local traders body and had urged the police and district administration to get the innocent shopkeeper released.
“If the shopkeeper is not be released forthwith, the traders body will intensify the protests and will continue the strike till he is not released,” they said.
The traders body also urged the Governor Satya Pal Malik to intervene into the matter and take steps for the release of the “innocent shopkeeper”. (GNS)
