DHAKA: Anger flared up against the fragile coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday as a 15-year-old boy was killed when police fired on pro-azadi protesters at Magam in Budgam district.

Suhail Ahmed Sofi’s killing is the first such case since the People’s Democratic Party-BJP government came to power last month after PDP emerged as the single largest party in assembly polls on the back of promises to end impunity of security forces and rights abuses, reports the Times of India.

Late Saturday, hours after authorities had ordered a probe into the firing, two cops were arrested in a bid to placate anger over the killing. The big concern was the situation could spin out of control like it did in 2010 summer stone-pelting agitation in which 120 people were killed in firings on demonstrators.

The unprecedented arrests came after police acknowledged standard operating procedure (SOP) for crowd control was violated when protesters in Magam were fired upon and booked the cops for murder.

BDST: 0927 HRS, APR 19, 2015
BD/