Top cop acts on Baramulla deaths
Toufiq Rashid , Hindustan Times
Srinagar, September 08, 2010First Published: 00:30 IST(8/9/2010)
Last Updated: 00:33 IST(8/9/2010)
The newly appointed top cop of Kashmir said he had taken a serious view of the death of four persons, including a class 12 student, in police firing on protestors in Baramulla district on Monday. "The death of four people is a big issue," Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range) S M Sahai told HT, expressing regret over the deaths.
Denying reports in some newspapers that some personnel in motorcade fired on the protestors at Palhalan, Pattan and Singhpora towns in Baramulla district, 30 km from Srinagar, on Monday, Sahai said he had issued verbal orders to the police force to exercise "maximum restraint" when he took charge as Kashmir's top cop 10 days ago.
Taking action to show that he means business, Sahai ordered that the weapons of the policemen who fired on protestors in Baramulla be examined to ascertain which of them opened fire.
Once the policemen are identified, action would be taken against them, the IG said.
With Monday's, the number of people killed in police action in nearly three months of the ongoing phase of unrest since June 11 rose to 70.
Sahai, however, said it would take time for him to restore peace in the Valley.
"I have just taken over, things cannot change overnight. Aberrations happen and they can happen hereafter as well but we will try to ensure there is minimum damage," he said.
Sahai said police personnel are likely to be counselled and trained to handle mobs in a better manner in future.
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