Teenager falls in deep ditch, dies after being chased by police in PoK's Kotli

A teenager identified as Zeeshan Ayub, a resident of Gulhar area of Kotli town in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) died after he was beaten and chased by the local police.

Eyewitnesses said the deceased was on his way home when the police, patrolling during the lockdown due to COVID-19, asked him to stop.

"First police beat him brutally and when was running to save his life, he fell in a deep ditch", said a relative.

The teen was taken to the local hospital on Friday night where he succumbed to his injuries.

The residents and family members held a protest march in the town and blamed the police for carrying out atrocities in the name of lockdown in the occupied region.

A local protester said, "We condemn this brutal act by Kotli police. We call them as Kotli corona police. They are responsible for his death."

The people in Pakistan occupied Kashmir are scraed of an outbreak of coronavirus because of the continuous movement of people from Punjab and other provinces of Pakistan.

They want a complete ban on vehicular movement into PoK and Gilgit Baltistan as the number of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan are rising sharply.

In Mirpur and other parts of PoK, the residents have also opposed the setting up of quarantine centres by Pakistan Army as attempts were to bring COVID-19 positive cases from Pakistan to the region.