Braid Chopping: one more beaten, six arrested for rumour-mongering

SRINAGAR: Continuing their over-frenzied vigilantism on alleged 'braid-choppers', the locals in valley trashed another person, a mentally unsound man in Kangan area of central Kashmir's Ganderbal district.
The police have meanwhile, registered cases against six persons for spreading false rumours over braid chopping and disturbing law and order, in the same area.
As per the sources, a person moving "suspiciously" with a hand bag was mistaken as a braid chopper and a crowd, mostly the passers-by, caught hold of him and thrashed him.
Later, police reached at the spot and took the person into custody. The officials later informed that as per the initial investigation the victim who was thrashed is mentally unstable.
A torn and an empty bag was recovered from him, said the officials, adding they are investigating the matter. The police officials also said that an FIR has been lodged against six persons over rumour mongering and disturbance of law and order.
The police have appealed to people not to take law in their own hands.
Earlier, on Friday, a 70-year-old man was killed in Anantnag district after unknown persons mistaking him for a braid chopper threw a brick at him, while three others including a transgender were beaten brutally.
Abdul Salam Wani of Danter village in Anantnag district had come out of his house in the early hours to answer the call of nature, when the mob mistook him for a braid chopper and hit him with a brick.
"He died instantly," a police officer said.
In another such incident yesterday, one more frenzied mob caught two civilians on charges of being braid cutters at Chopan Mohalla, Ishber on Friday evening around 7'o clock.
Police timely intervened to save both the civilians, though both were beaten to pulp.
Both the civilians turned out to be Samir Ahmad Khan son of Noor Mohammad Khan resident of Ahmad Nagar and Tahir Ahmad Beigh son of Ghulam Qadir Beigh resident of Tulwari, Gojwara.
Making the matters even worse, a mob intercepted a transgender near Tourist Reception Centre and tried to lynch him on the alibi of being a braid Chopper.
"The said person was a cross dresser being a transgender and had come from Anantnag to pay obeisance at the Makhdoom Sahib shrine in Srinagar. Police had to intervene to rescue him from the frenzied mob," the spokesman said, adding the incident happened around 5 pm.
On sustained questioning the person in question was identified as Javaid Ahmad (name changed to respect his identity) from Lalan, Anantanag.
After this disclosure his family was contacted and was handed over to them.