Civilians Killed in Srinagar Encounter, demand return of bodies

Ground Report | New Delhi: Civilians Killed in Srinagar Encounter; Army and paramilitary forces in Srinagar claimed to have killed four people in an encounter on Monday night in the Hyderpora area of Srinagar. However, over time, locals and the families of the victims have accused the police of lying.

Four people were killed in the incident on Monday night, including two local traders and a labourer. The owner of the building where the incident took place, Altaf Hussain's shop was also there while a doctor Mudassar Gul was also running his business from this building, both were killed.

IGP Police Vijay Kumar said that a Pakistani militant was killed along with his local militant Amir in the encounter. However, while the statements of the families of the victims and the contradictory statements of the police are being questioned, other details of the incident are also coming to light.

Civilians Killed in Srinagar Encounter

Police said in their first statement that a doctor was killed along with the owner of the building where the clash took place and that he was shot dead by militants. Police later said in another statement that he had been killed in crossfire and it was not clear who shot him. Police later said in another statement that the two businessmen killed in the alleged clash were supporters of the militants while a local laborer named Amir was a militant.

Humaira Gul, the wife of Dr. Mudasir Gul, who was killed in the Hyderpora encounter, protested along with other family members at the Press Colony on Wednesday, saying that their two-year-old daughter was crying, Baba, Baba and she had no answers. . She said the police would have to provide proof that her husband was an OGW and the fact that “my husband had no militants links and was earning his livelihood through a clean manner.

“My year old daughter has been crying since yesterday in search of her father. She cries Baba, Baba, and I have no answer for her. I urge LG Manoj Sinha to allow my daughter to see her father for the last time,” Hamaira told reporters. She said that the police should give proof of her husband being OGW. Taking her daughter in her arms, Humaira said, “If my husband is proved OGW then the police can kill me too.” “My husband was not an OGW but a doctor by profession. He was earning his livelihood in a clean way. In fact, recently at a wedding ceremony in Rawalpora, police officers and administration officials had lunch with Mudasir. How the police label him as OGW,” she said.

Other family members of the slain Dr Mudasir were also part of the protest who demanded that Mudasir’s body be returned for proper burial. “We appeal to LG Manoj Sinha and IGP Kashmir to return the body of Dr Mudasir so that his daughter can see him for the last time and we all can bid him a final farewell,” the protesters said.

The position of the family

However, the families of the victims termed all these statements of the police as false and said that both the traders were killed by the security forces. The family demanded that the bodies of the victims be handed over to the police, but Indian forces refused to do so and the army buried them in Handwara, 100 km from the city. (Civilians Killed in Srinagar Encounter)

Altaf Bhatt's niece Saima Bhatt senior Journalist said in a tweet, "You brutally killed my innocent uncle Muhammad Altaf Bhatt in Haiderpura, you used him as a human shield and now you are saying that He was a supporter of the militants. Bury his body and give it back to us. "

Despite all the efforts of the family, the police did not hand over their bodies to the family members. Dr. Mudassar's family also called the police statement "a lie that they worked for militants."   One of his relatives today said, "We want justice, return his body to us. He was a dental surgeon and did his own business."

Abdul Latif, father of Amir, a local laborer killed in the incident, also denied the allegations made by the police. He says his son was an innocent man who worked in a shop. Magra claimed to have stoned a militant to death in 2005, after which he became famous and was awarded a number of prizes.

"I myself have stoned a terrorist. I have been shot by terrorists. My cousin was also killed by the militants. We had to stay away from our home for 11 years," he said in a statement. I raised my children with great difficulty by keeping them in secret places. Today the result of this sacrifice is that the Indian who killed a terrorist by stoning, his son is being killed and called a terrorist."

He says the forces did not even give his son's body for burial. "The reward for the war on terror is that my son's body was not given," he said. "I still have police guards at my house. Tomorrow the security guards can beat me and claim that I was a militant."

Political reaction

Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti and CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami on Tuesday demanded a judicial inquiry while National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah demanded a "fair and credible" probe into the killing of "citizens" in Hyderpora here.

Sajjad Gani Lone, president of the People's Conference and a former minister in the then J&K government, said it was an "opportunity" for Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to emphasize that "human lives matter" by getting the details through a "neutral institution". While his party leader and Mayor Srinagar Junaid Azim Mattoo demanded a "time-bound" inquiry into the "serious and serious allegations".

Mehbooba Mufti, a former chief minister in the PDP-BJP government, said in a tweet, "Using innocent civilians as human shields, killing them in cross-firing and then simply labeling them as OGWs is part of the Government of India rule book." Is." According to GNS, he said, "There is a need for a credible judicial inquiry to bring out the truth and to end this prevailing culture of impunity."

Demanding a judicial inquiry into the killings of Altaf Ahmed and Mudasir Gul, who were killed in the Hyderpora "encounter", CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami urged the authorities to hand over their bodies to their families for proper burial.

“The use of alleged slain unarmed civilians as human shields is shocking and should be investigated through a judicial process. Tarigami said in a statement issued, "The circumstances under which these killings took place require a thorough investigation."

"The rule of law is being violated in Kashmir, which is very unfortunate," he said. The situation is going from bad to worse."
National Conference vice-president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah also demanded a "fair and credible inquiry". (Civilians Killed in Srinagar Encounter)

“An impartial and credible investigation into the recent encounter in #Hyderpora is an absolute necessity. A lot of questions are being raised about the encounter and the casualties,” Omar said in a tweet at around 4 pm, late compared to his statements in recent days.

Manoj Sinha- ​​You have an opportunity to say that human lives matter." Sajjad, however, used his frequently used term "orphans made army" whenever unidentified gunmen are suspected of being terrorists.

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