Protest erupts in Handwara over student’s killing

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 24

North Kashmir’s Handwara area erupted with protests on Thursday over the killing of a final year college student, who was termed a “militant” by the Army. The state government has ordered a magisterial probe into the killing.

The parents of Shahid Mir of Tarathpora in Handwara claim their son was abducted and later killed in a “staged encounter”.

“My son was not a militant. He had gone to collect some goods from a shopkeeper on Monday evening but did not return home. He was abducted and killed in a staged encounter by the Army in a nearby forest area,” lamented Bashir Ahmed, a carpenter, over phone. Bashir said they had also lodged a missing report of his son at the police station in Vilgam.

“On Wednesday afternoon, I got a call from the police to identify a body at an Army camp. When we went there, we saw my son’s bullet-riddled body,” he said.

The police, too, claim that the slain youth was a civilian. “He was civilian. However, what is being investigated is how he came to the forest area, where a gunfight was going on,” J&K Police chief Shesh Paul told The Tribune.

“The family says he was missing for the past few days and was mentally deranged.”

The Army on Tuesday had claimed that it killed a militant in a gunfight in Haphruda forest during an anti-militancy operation. Today, however, it said, “The body of an individual was recovered after an Army column was fired upon by terrorists.”

“The Army launched a specific Intelligence input-based operation in the Haphruda forest on the night of August 21. The Army column was fired upon by the terrorists, which was retaliated. During a search operation, the body of an individual was recovered and handed over to the police. Probe is on,” Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.

“…Police officials have declared the slain youth a civilian. We are investigating as to how he reached the forest,” Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara, Khalid Jehangir said, while announcing that the probe would be completed in a week’s time.

After the body of Shahid (21) reached home on Wednesday evening, protests erupted in the area and mourners refused to perform his burial.

Clashes broke in the area this morning when two government vehicles were torched by protesters after Khalid Jehangir reached the spot to pacify protesters. The protesters were raising anti-India and pro-freedom slogans, while seeking an FIR against the Army. The police lobbed several tear-gas canisters to disperse the protesters.

However, after the DM assured protesters that the guilty would be punished and an FIR would be lodged, the body was finally buried in the afternoon.