Protests continue in Kashmir over minor's rape

The state police has constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the rape case and one person has been arrested.

Even as authorities closed several educational institutions in the valley, students took out protest rallies against the alleged rape of the minor girl in Sumbal area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district last week, the officials said.

They said protests erupted at Women's College Maulana Azad Road here as the students came out of their classes and assembled in the campus.

The protesting students demanded stern action against the accused, the officials said, adding later, the protestors marched towards the Press Enclave here.

Protests rocked Kashmir University in Hazratbal area of the city where hundreds of students of different departments under the banner of Kashmir University Students Union (KUSU) assembled inside the campus to register their protest, the officials said.

They said the students chanted slogans against the accused and demanded capital punishment for him.

Students of Degree College Kangan in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district also staged a protest demonstration demanding justice to the victim.

Scores of the students marched from the college campus to the main market at Kangan and staged a sit-in to express solidarity with the victim.

Students took out protest marches at Degree College at Bemina and Amar Singh College in Gogji Bagh areas of the city as well, the officials said.

They said clashes erupted between the protestors and security forces at both these institutions after the forces did not allow the students to come outside the respective campuses.

The students also carried out a peaceful protest march in Boniyar area of Uri in northern Baramulla district, the officials said.

Apprehending law and order problems, several educational institutions were closed by respective district authorities across the valley on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.

In Baramulla district, all schools in tehsil Pattan and Singhpora were shut, while Degree College and higher secondary schools in Baramulla and Sopore towns also remained closed, the officials said.

They said all government educational institutions including schools and colleges of tehsil Sonawari in Bandipora district also remained closed, while Government Degree College Ganderbal, government girls and boys higher secondary schools in Ganderbal town were also closed.

Class work remained suspended at Government Degree Colleges and Higher Secondary Schools in Anantnag and Bijbhera towns of district Anantnag on Tuesday, the officials said.

The authorities also ordered suspension of class work in Government Degree College Shopian and in Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), the officials said.

Groups of students, lawyers and various NGOs also held protests at the Press Enclave here, demanding exemplary punishment to the accused.