Massive police crackdown on braid vigilante, 45 arrested so far

Mir Farhat. Updated: 10/22/2017 1:07:09 AM Front Page

12 arrested in Sopore lynching attempt

SRINAGAR: With vigilantism over braid chopping rumors taken violent turn in the Kashmir valley, witnessing a steep rise in number of incidents where mobs on mere suspicion are beating people to pulp, the police has finally swung into action and started arresting those involved in these incidents, besides those resorting to rumor mongering.
Taking cognizance of the recent case of attempts of burning alive a mentally deranged person by a mob in Mazbug area of Sopore, police on Saturday have taken into custody 12 accused identified on the basis of video evidence, a police official said.
He said policemen were looking for 15 people involved in an attempt to murder a youth by running him over with a tractor.
The youth arrested by police include Ahmad Malla S/O Mohammad Sultan (Nagmaha), Javaid Ahmad Da S/O Ghulam Hassan (Darpora, Delina), Zahid Ahmad Sheikh S/O Zahoor Ahmad, Shahid Ahmad Mir S/O Manzoor Ahmad, Nawaz Muzzamil Hussain Dar S/O Shabaan Dar, Kausar Hussain Dar S/O Shabaan, Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat S/O Bashir Ahmad, Mudassir Nabi S/O Ghulam Nabi, Zahoor Hussain Bhat S/O Ashiq Hussain, Mohammad Usama Ahngar S/O Mohammad Maqbool, Jameel Ahmad Bhat S/O Ghulam Mohammad, and Adil Bashir S/O Bashir Ahmad – all residents of Mazbug .
Even though police is yet clueless over the braid chopping after forming Special Investigation Teams (SIT) in each district in the valley, it has so far arrested 45 youths across the different parts of the valley for their alleged role in instigating violence in multiple cases over braid-chopping incidents.
Over 130 incidents of braid chopping have been reported in the Valley in the last two months, with mobs beating up strangers, tourists and even Army men in plainclothes on suspicion of being braid choppers.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Baramulla Imtiyaz Hussain said that most of those arrested were involved in last year's uprising triggered by the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani. The braid chopping rumors and incidents have created fear and confusion among people in the region particularly among women, with people taking to streets and beating people who are guests or strangers to any place here and political parties playing politics over the issue.
The police have been appealing people not to take law into their hands and have appealed for calm, yet rumor mongering has overshadowed the appeals. It has announced Rs six lakh reward for credible information leading to arrest of any person behind braid chopping incidents. So far, no arrests have been made.
In Baramulla district alone, eleven incidents of braid-chopping have so far been reported.
"No role of any outside elements has been found in these incidents so far," said Hussain while issuing a fresh appeal against mob vigilantism.
Three youths were arrested in connection with the thrashing of two men by a vigilante group in Nishat area of the city on October 6.
Psychiatrists who speak off the record have said that the braid chopping incidents have taken place due to psychological disorders among some women, while some cases have taken place due to revenge and
enmity of some miscreants against women.
Director General of Police, Sesh Paul Vaid while confirming to The News Now the arrest of the mobsters who beat up the people said that "it is non-sense" to beat tourists, labourers and mentally deranged
people.
"We will take strict action as per law against all those people who resort to violence, beat people and spread rumors among people about braid chopping," Vaid said, adding that those who resort to
violence do not belong to this society.
"If people suspect anyone of being a braid chopper, let them hand him over to police than taking law into their own hands," he said.
While hinting out the role of outsider elements for disturbing peace and creating law and order in the Kashmir valley, the DGP said that braid chopping incidents happened in other states also but there was
no such violence and vigilantism.
"Such incidents happened in other northern states too, but there is no chance for Pakistan and separatists to fiddle into the issues and disturb the situation," he said.
The DGP also said that doctors and psychiatrists should come out and educate people about the psychological disorders related to braid chopping issues.


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