A Kashmiri youth who was injured during protests last month died at a hospital in Srinagar early on Wednesday, PTI reported, quoting officials. Asrar Ahmad Khan’s death prompted authorities to impose some restrictions in Srinagar.
Khan was reportedly a part of the mob protesting in Soura area of Srinagar on August 6. After being wounded in the protests, he was admitted to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences.
“Asrar Ahmad Khan who was hit by a stone on August 6 was admitted in Soura has lost his life today,” Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon told the media, according to ANI. “This makes it the fifth civilian death in last 30 days and these deaths have happened because of terrorists, stone pelters and puppets of Pakistan.” India had last month denied that there had been any deaths in protests in Kashmir following the clampdown.
Restrictions were imposed in downtown Srinagar and some parts of the Civil Lines area following Khan’s death on Wednesday. “He did not have any bullet injuries,” a top police official told PTI.
The state was put under prohibitory orders and an unprecedented communications blackout on August 4 as the government prepared to announce the revocation of the region’s autonomy. The Centre announced the move in Parliament on August 5, after which the state no longer has special constitutional status and is set to be split into two Union territories on October 31. Prohibitory orders are being lifted gradually but the communications blockade remains in many parts. Some protests have broken out in Kashmir after the decision.
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