Slain militant’s brother abducted for giving information to forces

A video of a young man in the custody of militants, ‘confessing’ to giving information about their location, has gone viral on social media in Kashmir.

Pulwama resident Arif Ahmad Malik, who was identified as the man in the video, was let off owing to the militant background of his slain brother and is recovering at a hospital.

The video, which is in two parts, was apparently shot by the militants on a smartphone.

Malik, who appears disoriented in the video, “accepts his mistake of giving information (to security forces) about a hideout of militants” in Pulwama.

Superintendent of police, Pulwama, Mohammad Aslam Chowdhary told HT that the man was abducted by militants and severely beaten.

“They accused him of being an informer. He is recovering at a hospital. We will verify the facts after his recovery,” Chowdhary said.

In the video, Malik says he gave the information to save himself and his house.

“They told me we will save you as well as your house, if you show us the hideout. Then I showed them the place. This is my mistake that I showed them. (But) they (militants) had got the information,” he says.

A Kashmiri voice behind the video prods Malik, who then adds on: “This is my mistake. I seek forgiveness from militants and people. I have got a punishment that I will go away from this place for four months.”

The voice then tells Malik, “We are leaving you for the sake of your brother, who has been martyred fighting along with us. We will not leave you if it happens again.”

Local reports said Malik was the younger brother of Muhammad Altaf alias Pintoo, an LeT commander who was killed by security forces in 2007 in Shopian. The superintendent of police confirmed the information.

SRINAGAR: