Summary Curfew continued in the occupied Kashmir for the fourth day after hanging of Afzal Guru.
SRINAGAR (Online)-Uninterrupted curfew restrictions continued for the fourth day Tuesday in occupied Kashmir Valley to prevent violence in the wake of Afzal Guru s hanging in New Delhi s Tihar jail.
Puppet chief minister Omar Abdullah said he would help arrange a visit to the family members of Afzal Guru to offer prayers at his grave.
While speaking to a radio channel, Omar said that if Afzal Guru s family approached him, he would do everything possible to help.
Three people have died so far during protests in the Indian held Kashmir after news of Guru’s hanging spread here.
Residents in Batwina village of north Kashmir s Ganderbal district said two youths were drowned after they were chased by the security forces during protests, while police said the deaths had occurred because of a boat capsize in the Jhelum river.
A teenage boy belonging to Watergam (Rafiabad) area of Baramulla district succumbed to critical injuries in a city hospital on late Monday. He had sustained a bullet injury from the security forces during protests in the village.
Another injured youth is battling for life in Srinagar s super specialty Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura.
The puppet state government has ordered a magisterial probe into both these incidents and an ex-gratia relief to the next of kin of the deceased person.
Strict orders have been given to exercise maximum restraint while handling the law and order situation in the valley, the puppet chief minister said.
Reports here indicate 14 companies of border security force (BSF) and 10 additional companies of central reserve police force (CRPF) have been rushed to control the annoyed people of Kashmir.
For the fourth day Tuesday Kashmir went without any print editions of the local newspapers.
Local editors told IANS they had been unofficially told by the authorities to suspend publications of their newspapers till next Friday.
"If this has been done to check the spread of wild rumours then it is a very bad decision," said Bashir Manzar, editor of daily Kashmir Images .
Cable television operations and Internet facilities also remained shut in the summer capital Srinagar, although BSNL broadband users said their facility was still working.
Those using dongle appliances and mobile phones to access the Internet have been unable to do so for the last four days.
A senior Indian police officer said curfew imposed Saturday would remain in place till further orders.
Asked whether the authorities were planning some relaxation in the imposed curfew, the officer said the situation was being monitored on a regular basis.
Indian authorities have made announcements through the local radio and television broadcasts that additional round-the-clock ambulances have been made available to ferry sick people to hospitals from areas under curfew.
Indian security forces have been advised to treat the identity cards of those maintaining essential services like healthcare, water supplies and electricity as curfew passes and allow their movements through those areas.
APHC leader Syed Ali Geelani has asked people to continue the protest shutdown till Friday when a march to the Eidgah grounds has been announced.
"We will demand that the mortal remains of Afzal Guru be returned to his family," a spokesman of the group told media here.
All examinations and interviews scheduled to be held here up to Feb 17 have been postponed by the authorities.
