Kashmir IG assures impartial probe into civilian’s death

SRINAGAR:: A top official of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday visited the family of Bashir Ahmad Khan who was killed during a clash between militants and security forces in north Kashmir’s Sopore on Wednesday, and assured an impartial investigation into the matter.

The family has accused the CRPF for his death stating that he was killed in anger by security forces after their “own men were injured in the attack”, a charge denied by both the police and CRPF.

Inspector general of police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar along with other senior police officers visited Khan’s bereaved family at their Srinagar home and expressed condolences.

“We have assured them an impartial investigation,” Kumar said.

IGP Kumar met Bashir’s wife who has retired as SHO of a women police station in 2017. “I offered my condolences. We listened to their side and expressed that the rumors in the media are wrong,” Kumar said.

Khan’s brother Nazir Ahmad said that he told the IGP how he gave his verdict in the first press conference by saying Bashir was killed in crossfire. “If you had said that this incident has happened and we will investigate, then whoever was found guilty would have been punished. But you declared it at the very onset that he was killed in the encounter,” Nazir said.

“My brother has died and we want justice. They (police) said that we will prove it to you that he was killed in encounter… We also are collecting evidence on our own. We know we won’t get justice. No one has got justice here,” he said.

While Khan’s family have released video messages on social media, accusing the CRPF personnel of dragging him out of his car and shooting him at pointblank range, the IGP said he died in the exchange of fire with militants. The family also alleged that the troops later placed the child on his grandfather’s chest and took pictures.