The death had sparked protests in the town, and clashes between people and the police forces. All shops and commercial establishments in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk remained closed due to the bandh called by the Joint Resistance Leadership, which comprises separatists Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik, the Greater Kashmir reported. “The custodial killing is not only one of its kind but prior to this, hundreds and thousands of young and old Kashmiris have been killed in this manner,” the Joint Resistance Leadership had said in a statement on Tuesday, Rising Kashmir reported. Pandit’s death is the state’s first custodial death this year. The last such death was reported in August 2016, when school teacher Shabir Ahmad Mangoo from Khrew, Pampore, was allegedly tortured to death in Army custody.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 20, 2019 09:22 UTC