Early Times Report
Anantnag, Aug 27: Spontaneous clashes broke out on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at Sangam Bijbehara after locals fished out dead body of missing 22 years old youth who allegedly went missing on Friday evening.
According to reports deceased identified as Shahbaz Iqbal Khantana s/o Mohd Iqbal Khatana, a resident of Dadoo Marahama went missing on Friday evening.
"He (Shahbaz) left home at around 11:30am to attend Friday prayers at Marahama, 3 kms away from his village Dadoo," a local quoting family told Early Times over phone.
Quoting family members, he said that later on the same day in the evening some youth from Marhama informed the family that Shahbaz drowned in Jhelum near Sangam Bridge during a melee when police chased a protest rally.
"We are being told he was part of the procession that was heading towards the Sangam Bridge and he drowned when police chased the protesters," a local resident, Gh Rasool said, adding locals today fished his body out this morning near the bridge."
Soon after the news about fishing of body broke out, people in large numbers took to Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and held strong protests. People also offered funeral prayers of the deceased on highway and clashed with police for hours together resulting disruption of vehicular traffic on the highway.
Back at home, the death of Shahbaz has shattered the family as he is survived by aged parents, two young brothers, wife and a one year old kid. "Shahbaz was lone bread earner for his family," locals added. |
