National
J-K Attempt to set shops ablaze in Srinagar averted third incident in as many nights
By: TP News
Date: 12/2/2019 5:30:02 PM
New Delhi :
A fire in a posh market here was narrowly averted in the dead of night, the latest in a series of mysterious incidents in the city,officials said on Monday, suspecting that shop owners who have defied an undeclared shutdown against the abrogation of Article 370 are being targeted. Late on Sunday night, an inflammable substance was sprinkled on a few shops in Lambert Lane market on Residency Road but alert residents of the building foiled the attempt to set the shops on fire, officials said.
"Late on Sunday night, we noticed smell of petrol around the building and we quickly went downstairs to check. There was no one around, but the fuel had been sprinkled on a few shops," said a resident of the building, who preferred to remain anonymous. We informed the market association members who in turn alerted the police, he said.This was the third such instance in as many nights as miscreants carried out similar acts at Budshah Chowk, right in front of the highly guarded Akhara Building on Saturday night, and at Goni Khan near Hari Singh High Street, the night earlier.A senior police official said the incidents are being investigated and strict action will be taken against those found involved in these acts.There have been several mysterious fire incidents in the city, in which shops have been destroyed or partially damaged during thenight, after the abrogation of Article 370 provisions on August 5.While most ofthe targeted shops have been in the areas where markets were open beyond theself-imposed deadline of noon closure to protest the repeal of special statusof Jammu and Kashmir, police has so far maintained that the fires were causedby electric short circuit.Militants had carried out a grenade attack in thebusy Goni Khan market last month that had left two persons dead and more than30 others injured.A shopkeeper was shot dead in Parimpora area of the citywhile five members of a family were shot at and injured in Sopore area of northKashmir since August 5. Both the attacks were linked to the victims defiance ofthe shutdown 'diktat'.
Meanwhile, most ofthe schools in the city started normal operations from Monday as buses carryingstudents could be seen plying on the roads early in the morning.
Barring theinternet clampdown in the valley, life has returned almost to normal afterremaining disturbed for nearly four months following the landmark move by theCentre in August.