Two stone pelters arrested in connection with death of truck driver in Anantnag district

Two alleged stone pelters were arrested in the early hours of Monday for allegedly throwing stones at a truck in Anantnag district of Kashmir, killing the driver of the vehicle. According to police, six others have been detained for questioning in connection with the incident. 

The arrested youths were being questioned to ascertain their motive behind the crime, police said, adding that the duo had no past criminal history.

 The truck driver, identified as Noor Mohammed Dar, belonged to the same Zradipora Uranhall locality, was returning home when protesters mistook his truck for a security force vehicle and hurled stones at it.

The 42-year-old driver, who was hit on the head, was shifted to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, they said. The police said protesters have been hurling stones even at civilians and earlier this month, they injured an 11-year-old girl in the eye at downtown of Srinagar city. 

Meanwhile, Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday defended communication blockade in the Valley saying there’s no harm in taking such steps if it saves lives.

“In all the crises that have happened in Kashmir in the past, at least 50 people used to die in the first week itself. Our attitude is such that there should be no loss of human lives. Dus din telephone nahi honge, nahi honge, lekin hum bahut jaldi sab wapas kar denge (It’s okay if that means there is no telephone service for 10 days… but we will restore everything very soon),” Malik told reporters when asked to comment on how long the restrictions will continue.

Earlier, there were reports that people in the Valley have been facing acute problems as medical shops are running out of lifesaving medicines amid lockdown following the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5. The shortage had also led to several numbers of deaths in the region, doctors told media.

The Centre had on August 5 announced abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and decided to bifurcate the state into Union territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh - hours after Kashmir was placed under a total clampdown