A youth was shot dead and another critically wounded, when police opened fire to disperse a stone-pelting mob in the Nowhatta locality of Srinagar, even as a complete shutdown was observed on Saturday against the Amarnath land transfer agreement.
A senior police officer in Srinagar said police had to open fire at a mob, which indulged in heavy stone-pelting in Nowhatta chowk on Saturday afternoon, resulting in injuries to two persons.
"They were taken to SMHS hospital, where one critically injured Javed Ahmad Bhat succumbed," the officer said.
The condition of Jehangir Ahmad is stated to be serious.
The officer said police had shelled teargas and used repeated baton charges to chase away the stone-pelting youths who were shouting slogans.
As the news about the death of Javed spread in Srinagar, tension gripped the city as mobs at Nowhatta, Kaki Sara and Habba Kadal started pelting stones at the police and paramilitary forces.
Meanwhile, the Kashmir Valley observed a complete shutdown on a call given by the coordination committee of the separatists spearheading the ongoing protests.
The strike was complete in Srinagar and all other major and minor towns of the Valley.
All business establishments were shut and both public and private transport are off the roads.
State government offices, banks, educational institutions were also closed in Srinagar.
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