Seven people, including a woman, were killed and several others injured when security forces opened fire on unruly mobs that attacked polling booths and election staff with petrol bombs and stones at various places as the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency went to bypolls on Sunday amid the call for election boycott given by separatists.

Army was called out to assist the civil authorities in maintaining peace as miscreants mobbed polling booths in Ganderbal, the home segment of the Abdullah clan. Polling staff abandoned polling booths at several places because of violent incidents.

Stone pelting mobs went around polling booths and at some places damaged the voting machines. Security forces exercised restraint but were left with no option but to open fire when unruly mobs attacked polling booths with petrol bombs to scare away the voters and the polling staff.

Three persons died in the Dilwan village of Charar-e-Sharif area of Budgam district where they attacked polling staff immediately after voting began in the morning. Those killed have been identified as Farzaan Rathar (15), Mohammab Abbas (20), Nissar Ahmad, Shabir Ahmad, Adil Farooq and Aqib Wani.

The mob damaged electronic voting machines (EVMs) to stop polling. Mobs torched a bus and also damaged EVMs at Beerwah.

Most polling booths were deserted and only 3.12 per cent voting was recorded in the first four hours till 11 am. It further improved to 4.98 per cent in the noon at 1 pm. The lowest 169 votes were polled in the first three hours in the Eidgah assembly segment of the Srinagar district. The Srinagar Lok Sabha seat has 12.61 lakh voters.

The impact of the poll boycott call of the hardliner separatists led by Syed Alishah Geelani was visible right in the morning when polling started. Stone pelters turned out in large numbers to create scare among the electorate.

Just 73784 votes out of a total of 12.61 lakh were polled till 3 pm when two hours were left for polling to end. The lowest polling percentage of 0.51 was recorded in Eidgah segment followed by 0.66 in Chadoora. 1.90 per cent polling was recorded at Charar-e-Sharief and 2.20 per cent in Hazratbal. The highest polling percentage of 19.65 was recorded in Kangan till 3 pm and 11 per cent in Beerwah assembly segment.

The stakes are high for the political stalwart and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah who is supported by the Congress and Nazir Khan of the ruling PDP though there are seven other candidates in the fray. Byelection is being held as the seat fell vacant following resignation of PDP MP Tariq Hameed Karra to protest against the “failure” of the state government to properly handle the situation following the killing of terrorist leader Burhan Wani.

All 1,500 polling stations in the constituency have been declared hyper-sensitive or sensitive and security forces deployed in strength to protect the polling booths.

The Budgam district witnessed widespread violence as stone pelters had field day in Hafroo Batpora, Gooripora, Dardpora, Soibugh, Hayatpora, Chadoora and several other places.

The authorities suspended mobile and internet services in the Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts to prevent people from spreading rumours.

Farooq Abdullah accompanied by his son Omar Abdullah and other family members cast their votes in the afternoon. Omar Abdullah said during his 20 years in politics he had never seen a worst election than this one. Farooq Abdullah expressed disappointment over the violence and said the government has failed to provide a peaceful election.