Man dies in stone-pelting, Srinagar tense

One person was killed in Srinagar on Friday when the vehicle he was traveling in was targeted by a stone-pelting mob, which was protesting against the state government's decision to put senior separatist leaders Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani under house arrest.

A senior police officer said Shafiq Ahmad Sheikh died in Batmallo locality of Srinagar today morning.

"A stone hit Sheikh on the head. He was rushed to Soura medical institute, where he succumbed to the injury," the officer said.

The separatist leaders were put under house arrest after hard-line leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani called for a march to the United Nations Military Observers Group office in Srinagar to portest alleged human rights violations in the state.

However, Geelani was placed under house arrest by the authorities on Thursday and a large number of policemen as well as Central Reserve Police Force personnel have been deployed near his house.

The authorities have also placed moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq, who was scheduled to address a Friday gathering at Anantnag in south Kashmir, under house arrest.

Security has been beefed up across Srinagar to thwart the march.