Srinagar: Stone pelting in Kashmir valley appears to be fast
turning into a lucrative 'business' for some unemployed youths offering this
'service' for a price.
Several youths are also operating 'stone pelting' cartels funded by separatist
organizations and some political parties, sources said today, adding business
worth lakhs of rupees is usually generated through this activity.
Details in this regard came out during extensive interrogation of a stone pelter
arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police over a period of last three days.
Separatist groups especially those owing allegiance to Pakistan-terror outfit
Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-e-Taiba are alleged to have formed several groups
comprising a minimum of dozen people, sources in the interrogation team said.
These groups are paid a hefty amount ranging between Rs5 to Rs8 lakh, they said,
adding a part of this money is handed over to another group known as
"initiators" who pick up stones and start pelting on police and Para-military
forces -- sometimes on trivial issues.
The groups, which are alleged to have been receiving funds from a political
party as well, have stationed their people in various localities and other
districts of the Valley, the sources said. This could be the reason for stone
pelting incidents occurring in a synchronized manner throughout the valley
during agitations and protests, they said.
The sources said while the exact amount of money being pumped into the
stone-pelting business was yet to be estimated, it could be running into lakhs
of rupees.
Adding to the woes of policemen were protestors making use of stones and
building material kept by government agencies on roads for construction
activities, the sources said.
The Government should ensure completion of work within a time frame as otherwise
these materials would come handy for the stone pelters, they said.
