Day after attack, security tightened in Srinagar

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 13

A day after the grenade attack, the Hari Singh High Street wore a deserted look. However, the security has been tightened across the city.

The vendors who till Saturday dotted every stretch of the street were nowhere to be seen on Sunday despite the fact that the security in the market has been increased following the blast by suspected militants in which eight persons were injured and two cars were damaged.

Though shops and other establishments in the market used to open for just a couple of hours in the morning since August 5, the vendors used to dot the street throughout the day.

The vendors selling second-hand merchandise on cheap rates used to draw huge crowd, particularly on Sunday. But following the grenade blast on Saturday afternoon, the mood in the street on Sunday was subdued with most of the vendors missing. However, the security personnel were seen patrolling the street.

A couple of armored police vehicles were stationed at the street for the security of the vendors. “Today as you can see, the security has been enhanced in the market but the vendors have not set up their stalls out of fear,” a havildar of the J&K Police posted in the street said, while pointing out the ITBF personnel armed with riot gear and tear-smoke shells deployed in the street.

The Hari Singh High Street, one of the oldest markets of the city, is famous for its jewellery shops and stretches from Amirakadal bridge right up to the HDFC Bank on the other end, where it then merges into the Jahangir Chowk area.

Polo View market functions normally

• Despite threats, the Sunday market at Polo View, which now functions throughout the week, was bustling with activity
• Hundreds of vendors had set up their carts from the TRC ground right up to Regal Chowk
• The police on Sunday increased the personnel to secure the Sunday flea market on both ends
• On Thursday, the government had carried full-page ads in local newspapers, urging shopkeepers to end shutdown

Got concrete leads: Police

The police on Sunday claimed to have got important leads into the grenade attack that took place at Hari Singh High Street in Srinagar on Saturday. A senior police officer privy to the investigations told The Tribune that they had managed to get some concrete leads about the people responsible for the attack