Body of missing J&K cop found, family demands CBI probe

FAMILY ACCUSES POLICE OF COOKING UP A STORY BASED ON SPO AIJAZ AHMED’S STATEMENTS, ALLEGES FOUL PLAY

JAMMU: The police on Wednesday claimed to have found the body of the missing Kashmiri Pandit cop, Sameer Bhat, from Puhroo river in Hanjishat village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. However, Bhat’s family has demanded that the case involving his mysterious disappearance and subsequent killing be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to “unravel the truth”.

Bhat had gone missing on May 14. Police on Wednesday said they retrieved his body. Earlier it had said that SPO Aijaz Ahmed (Bhat’s colleague) had murdered him in Handwara area of Kupwara last month after Bhat allegedly sexually assaulted him. On the other hand, Bhat’s family had strongly rejected the charge and accused the police of making up a concocted story based on Ahmed’s statements, despite the fact that he had been giving contradictory statements.

“So far we have not seen the body. The police informed us that they have found it. How did they find the body all of a sudden after so many days?” said Sanjay Bhat, elder brother of the missing cop.

He added that the family believes that there is some foul play behind the entire incident.

“My family is shocked. My father has collapsed twice, ever since we were informed that the body has been found. We want a CBI probe so that the truth is unveiled. We also want the perpetrators of the cold-blooded murder of my brother be brought to the book,” he said.