13 injured in clash over custodial killing

At least 13 persons, including three policemen and a photo-journalist, were on Tuesday injured in a clash here following the alleged custodial death of a 45-year-old man, official sources said.

The clash broke out at Aloochibagh on Srinagar-Airport road when police fired dozens of teargas shells and resorted to air-firing to disperse a mob of over hundred people who have assembled outside the residence of the deceased, Manzoor Ahmad Beig.

13 people including three policemen have been injured in the clash, the sources said, adding a photo-journalist with a local English daily was also injured in stone-pelting by the mob.
    
The protesters raised slogans against the SOG and demanded action against the erring personnel of the SOG involved in Beig's death.

Beig, a car dealer, was found dead yesterday by his friends after he had gone to the Special Operations Group (SOG) camp of the local police, where he was called for questioning in connection with a fraud complaint lodged against him by a local.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the area and senior police officers are monitoring the situation, the sources said.

Earlier during the day, groups of youth pelted stones at Hari Singh High Street, Maisuma and Solina to enforce a shutdown in protest against the incident.

However, police chased the stone-pelting youth and the situation returned to normal after a brief disruption, they said.

Meanwhile, police have initiated inquest proceedings under section 174 of CrPC in the matter.
    
"Some unknown persons brought an unidentified man to SMHS hospital who was declared dead. Since the circumstances under which the body was brought to hospital appeared to be suspicious, inquest proceedings under section 174 of CrPC have been initiated in the matter and the district magistrate Srinagar stands informed accordingly," a police spokesman said.