KASHMIR-SITUATION 2LST

Officials said the 14-year-old was hit in the eye and
referred to SMHS hospital here for treatment.
A large number of protestors had blocked the Srinagar-
Baramulla National Highway in Palhalan area of Baramulla
district late last night.
Police fired tear smoke shells and warning shots to
disperse the protestors, they said.
In Pattan area of Baramulla, a police party raided a house
this morning to arrest two brothers allegedly involved in
cases of stone pelting, arson and attempt to murder.
However, both the brothers, Tariq Ahmad Sheikh and Sajad
Ahmad, evaded arrest as the women folk raised hue and cry
prompting the raiding party to withdraw, a police spokesman
said.
He said the police party withdrew from the house of Ghulam
Rasool Sheikh of Reipora-Palhallan village, 30 kms from here,
as family members of the accused did not cooperate and instead
resorted to hue and cry.
The police party exhibited restraint and left the house to
avoid altercation with the female members, the spokesman said
adding both the accused have evaded arrest several times and
are still absconding, he said.
However, the family members alleged that the police
personnel tried to outrage the modesty of the womenfolk. "They
were dragged and asked to report at the nearby security camp,"
Sajad told PTI over phone.
He alleged that one of his sisters had a fractured arm
after she was "dragged" by the police personnel.
Meanwhile, normal life was disrupted in Kashmir Valley in
view of the strike call given by both factions of Hurriyat to
protest the landing of Army in Kashmir on this day in 1947, a
day after then Maharaja Hari Singh signed the instrument of
accession with the Union of India.
Hurriyat has asked people to observe the day as "black
day".
Shops, business establishments and private offices
remained closed on account of the strike.
The authorities in the evening relaxed the curfew in
Srinagar city from 5 PM while in Handwara town in Kupwara
district it was relaxed from 3 PM.
Kashmir Valley has been in the grip of protests, strikes
and curfew since June when a 17-year-old boy was killed by a
tear smoke shell allegedly fired by police at Rajouri Kadal
area of the city. PTI