Students demand punishment for rapist; educational institutes closed in Kashmir

Srinagar, May 15

Amid calls of hanging of rapists, students continued to clash with police, so authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday shut down most educational institutes in the Valley.

Fearing further spurts in violence as the protests took centre-stage after two consecutive rapes were reported in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts, colleges in Srinagar city, Baramulla, Sopore, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Kupwara, Badgam and other districts were ordered to remain shut.

Even the higher secondary schools were closed in many towns with vulnerable law and order situation.

The protests were further fuelled on Tuesday after reports of the Ganderbal rape incident surfaced even as the valley was already seething over the May 9 Bandipora case. Police said the Ganderbal incident happened on Sunday.

The students of different educational institutes demanded justice to the victims and stern punishment to the accused as they clashed with the security forces.

Students of Amar Singh (AS) College, Srinagar, carrying placards and banners, staged protests on the college campus. They have been demanding death penalty to the accused.

The students of Kashmir Law College, Nowshera, also took out a protest rally. The MBBS students of SKIMS Medical College in Bemina assembled on the premises and staged protests. They demanded death penalty to the accused.

The students of various departments of University of Kashmir also took out a peaceful protest rally inside the campus on Tuesday, so did students of Boniyar Higher Secondary School in Uri in north Kashmir. IANS