Indian police Friday detained a senior separatist leader and his activists in Indian-controlled Kashmir and prevented them from taking out a march demanding justice for victims of the Pathribal fake gunfight case.

The march was led by chairman of pro-independent group Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Mohammed Yasin Malik in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Malik was detained by police soon after he tried to march out from his bastion Maisuma.

"Ours is a police state governed by Indian army," Malik told reporters at Maisuma. "People of Kashmir will not remain silent on Pathribal massacre in which army killed seven innocent Kashmiris in cold blood. Our protest to bring the killers to justice will continue."

Following Malik's detention, clashes broke out between protesters and police.

However, police said they detained him to maintain law and order in city.

"Malik along with his party activists were taken into preventive custody today," said a senior police officer. "We can't allow peaceful atmosphere to get vitiate in the city."

Malik's protest march was aimed at building pressure on India to punish killers of the Pathribal fake gunfight case.

Indian army troopers including officers were accused of killing five Kashmiri civilians in 2000 in a staged gunfight at village Pathribal in Anantnag district, about 85 km south of Srinagar city.

India's premier investigating agency Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) indicted five Indian army troopers for killing five civilians. But the army went to court to stop the investigation, citing special privileges, which prevent it in the restive region from prosecution by civilian courts.

Last month, after 14 years Indian military court said it has closed the case as evidence recorded could not establish a prime- facie case against any of its accused men.

The verdict evoked sharp criticism from pro-Indian parties, rights groups and separatists.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian army troops stationed in the region since 1989. Endi