Death of another victim of fake encounter

Pahalupoora, Draway ( Kokernag), June 23: A pall of gloom descended this remote hamlet of south Kashmir, 45 kilometers away from Islamabad town when body of a 22-year-old laborer, Muhammad Ashraf Sheikh allegedly killed in a fake encounter by the troops in Bandipore reached here, Monday. Just few meters away from the house of Abdul Rehman Paddar, a carpenter also killed in a fake encounter in 2006, Ashraf’s mother Zaina is mourning the death of his son with the neighbors surrounding to console her. Ashraf is the victim of sixth case of fake encounters in the last few years, villagers said. Earlier, five innocents allegedly killed in fake encounters in the area include, Ghulam Nabi Wani , Ali Muhammad Padder, Nazeer Ahmad and Abdul Rehman Padder. Ashraf son of Muhammad Akbar Sheikh left for Srinagar on June 1 for work and never returned. “My innocent son used to toil hard to feed his poor family. Is being an Hafiz a sin and offering prayers a crime for which he was killed,” said Ashraf’s mother Zaina as tears brimmed in her eyes. “ Zaina had recently underwent surgery for which the amount was paid by Ashraf by working hard. The amount was borrowed from some relatives who were demanding it back and he was thus toiling more,” said Muhammad Akbar Sheikh, father of Ashraf. According to his family members, Ashraf worked in Srinagar and there he was staying in the rented room belonging to Parvez Ahmad Shalla of Dalgate. On June 3 Parvez called his family and told them that he has missing since June 3. Worried family members looked for him everywhere but of no avail. A missing report was also lodged in police station Dalgate. “On Sunday evening we learnt that he has been killed in a fake encounter in Bandipore. We approached SP Bandipore, Muhammad Zahid who showed us some snaps he had clicked when the troops of 3 JAKLI had handed over the dead body to them saying that they ( troops) recovered the dead body in a nearby forest. After which we sought the permission of the district administration for exhumation of the body buried in the graveyard at village Aarigam in Bandipore. Then, the DNA test of Nazeer Ahmed Sheikh, brother of the deceased was matched and it was confirmed that dead body is of Muhammad Ashraf Sheikh,” said Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, cousin of the deceased. As soon as Ashraf’s body reached his native village here, people gathered in large numbers and shouted slogans against the Army and the government and demanded stern action against the culprits. The protestors while raising slogans against the concerned MLA, Peerzada Muhammad Syed, accussed PDP, NC and Congress of selling the blood of the youth against the hefty amount of Rs 8 lakh. “When our MLA needs votes he visits us and begs but never bothered to see the plight of the family of the Abdul Rehman Padder whose five daughters and wife have been left to fend for themselves,” said Muhmmad Yousuf, a neighbour. “On one hand they are talking of zero tolerance and on the other hand our youth are being killed in fake encounters and later labeled as terrorists,” said Riyaz Ahmad Padder, cousin of Abdul Rehman Padder.What police says SDPO, Kokernag, Rohit when contacted told Greater Kashmir that three persons including a personnel of 3 JKLI Bandipore, Tahir Gojri, a former government gunman suspected to be involved have been arrested by the Bandipore Police. However, DIG South Kashmir, Muneer Ahmad Khan termed the allegations of the people and the family fabricated and said that Ashraf was not killed in fake encounter but murdered by the two persons who have been arrested by the Bandipore police. In a statement, earlier on Monday, Jammu and Kashmir police claimed to have solved a blind murder case of a person and arrested one person in this connection. Police said that on June 3, 2008 Police Station Bandipora received a written complaint from patrolling party of Army that a dead body of unidentified civilian was laying in Nala in General area of Chaliwan. “The body was handed over to Police along with complaint for further course of action. On receipt of this complaint Police Station Bandipore registered a case FIR No. 108/08 under section 302 RPC, and the body was sent for postmortem after completing all medico legal formalities”, sources added. The body was handed over to Jamia Auqaf Nassu for burial. The investigation of the case was set in motion and statements of witnesses were recorded. However, on 22.06.08 one Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, son of Muhammad Akbar, resident of Draway Kokarnag in Islamabad approached this Police Station Bandipore claiming that it was body of his brother. The identification was made by him through photographs. During investigation it was further revealed that one Reyaz Ahmad Chachi, resident of Chitaybanday who is arrested in a case in Budgam, had connived with one Tahir Pattan, resident of Sheikh Muqam Aloosa to kill Muhammad Ashraf. Tahir Pattan was arrested. During questioning both the persons revealed their involvement. Police in the statement said that further investigation in the case is on.

By KHALID GUL (GK).