Woman Dies Of Tear Smoke In Hajin Locality, Alleges Family; Police Refute

Bandipora: A woman died due to cardiopulmonary arrest after the government forces fired tear smoke shells in Hajin area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Wednesday evening, claimed her family.

However, the police refuted, saying there was no law and order situation in the area.

The family members of Hajira Begum (60), wife of Nazir Ahmad Dar claimed that she died due to suffocation caused by teargas shells fired by the forces to disperse youth who were pelting them with stones as they were withdrawing after a search operation in the area.

The search operation was jointly launched by the army’s 13RR Unit, SOG of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF in the area following inputs about the presence of militants.

Hajira was collecting charcoal in the front yard of her house in Danger Mohalla area when the forces fired tear smoke shells near higher secondary school in Mir Mohalla, said the relatives.

“There was a lot of smoke in the area and around our house. She (Hajira) felt unconscious as she had inhaled the tear smoke. She was an asthma and diabetic patient,” said a relative.

The woman, he said, was declared dead at the hospital.

Police, however, claimed that there was no law and order situation in the area and no tear smoke shells were fired.

“When there was no law and order situation how is it possible that tear smoke shells would have been fired in the area. Nobody has died due to tear smoke in the area,” said a senior police official of the district.

Meanwhile, BMO Hajin, Dr. Tariq Ahamd said that the woman was brought dead to the CHC Hajin. “She had died due to cardio pulmonary arrest. She was a chronic patient of Asthma,” he said.

The operation was laid following inputs about the presence of militants by Army’s 13RR Unit, SOG of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF in the area.