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More braid chopping incidents in Valley trigger protests, clashes

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 10/11/2017 12:07:31 AM

SRINAGAR, Oct 10: More mysterious braid chopping incidents were reported in the Valley today, leading to more protests. Police and paramilitary forces had to lob smoke shells and resort to lathi charge to disperse protestors at some places.
Reports said that shopkeepers downed their shutters while agitated people resorted to stone-pelting after the news about braid chopping at Karfali Mohalla Habba Kadal spread in the area.
According to locals, unidentified braid choppers sprayed a chemical on the face of a middle aged woman; however, after not losing conscience, the suspects hit her head with a brick and chopped off her braid. The incident sparked protest in the area.
Reports said clashes erupted at Qamarwari Srinagar in the afternoon after braid of the daughter of Manzoor Ahmed, an 8th class student was chopped off. The family members of the victim said braid chopper sprayed pepper on the hijab of the girl and later on chopped off her braid. She was studying when the incident happened, they said and demanded the arrest of the culprit.
The incident sparked massive protest while police responded with tear-smoke shelling when protesters resorted to stone-pelting. The protesters disrupted traffic for hours together.
At Batamaloo Sidiq Abad also a braid chopping incident was reported, creating panic in the area.
The first incident of braid chopping was reported from North Kashmir’s Sopore town when the braid of a 30-year-old woman (name withheld) was found mysteriously chopped off in Seer Jagir area. The woman was rushed to Sub-district hospital for medical help.
People staged protest after the braid of a 27-year-old woman was chopped off in Wangipora area of Sumbal in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Tuesday afternoon.
Protests also erupted in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir on Tuesday as braids of two minor girls were found mysteriously chopped off.
Reports said residents of Kujar area of the district took to streets to protest the braid-chopping of a ten-year-old girl last evening.
They said the girl was hospitalised following the braid-cutting. "She was discharged from the hospital after first aid," said a resident.
Meanwhile, a class 10 student said that unknown persons chopped off her braid after barging inside their bakery-cum-residential house in Arhama around 6 AM on Tuesday.
Her family members said that the girl was found unconscious with her braid chopped off.
As the news spread, announcement was made through the public address system of a locality Masjid asking people to stage protests.
In the past three weeks, Kashmir witnessed over 50 incidents of braid chopping across the Valley while police so far is still clueless. A helpline has been established and a reward of Rs 6 lakh has also been announced for information leading to arrest of braid choppers.