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Clashes erupt in Kashmir at funeral of man lynched over beef rumours

by IBNS 19 Oct 2015, 08:14 am

Srinagar, Oct 19 (IBNS) Clashes broke out between protesters and security forces at Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday during the funeral of Zahid Ahmed, a young trucker who was attacked 10 days ago over cow slaughter rumours, reports said.

Protesting the death of Zahid Ahmed, Kashmiri separatists have called for a shutdown in the valley.  Hundreds of people were out on the streets as Zahid's funeral was held at his village in Anantnag, 56 km from Srinagar.


Zahid was attacked on October nine and his truck set on fire by a group of around eight people in Jammu's Udhampur after rumours that three cows had been killed. He died in Delhi on Sunday.

Officials say tests revealed that the cows had died of food poisoning.

Curfew has been imposed in parts of Srinagar following several clashes.

As a result of the curfew, police have restricted movement in parts of the city ahead of Zahid's funeral on Monday.

Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: "And to think that all the state Govt could do was to throw 10,000 rupees at #Zahid & wash it's hands off the whole thing #BeefMurder."

Abdullah had also met Zahid and his family in the hospital and said it was a "needless death" in the name of beef ban for which the "BJP and its allies" were responsible, said reports.