Police probe death of 16-year-old Pulwama boy as family blames forces

CHANDGAM(PULWAMA):Jammu and Kashmir Police have began investigation into the death of 16-year-old youth, who reportedly committed suicide hours after his “identity card was allegedly taken by the army and was asked to report at its camp” in the wake of a grenade blast in the area.

Pulwama district hospital records accessed by HT say the victim, Yawar Ahmad Bhat, was brought on September 17 with “alleged rat poison case.’’

The victim’s father, Abdul Hameed, said his son was working at a local mechanic shop from past few months and was planning to appear for the upcoming board exams.

“On Tuesday morning he left home and returned after an hour or two. It was during this period that something happened with him,” said the father, adding that his son was rushed to a hospital after vomiting on Tuesday evening. “After going through tests, a senior doctor at Srinagar hospital told me that my son will survive for one or two hours,’’ said 60-year-old Hamid, who is a farmer by profession.

An army spokesman asserted that the family’s allegations were “completely baseless”. “These are all fabricated allegations and army has nothing to do with the case,’’ the spokesman said.

His brother-in-law said the villagers told him that Yawar’s identity card was allegedly taken by the army. “He (Yawar) himself had told his sister about the incident,” the brother-in-law said.

Locals, however, said a grenade attack on the security forces had taken place in Pulwama’s Tahab area the previous night following which army allegedly started “harassing” local youths.

“The soldiers took cards of many youths who were asked to report at its camp. After Yawar’s death, the local army unit returned all the identity cards,’’ said a local, alleging that “irrelevant” questions were being asked by soldiers which were humiliating to the young boys.

“This youth (Yawar) committed suicide as he couldn’t face the humiliation. We have been facing a lot of harassment and torture from past two months,’’ another local said. Pulwama SP Chandan Kholi said investigations have been initiated in the case.