3 killed in Lawaypora encounter were involved in militancy: Kashmir IGP

The three youths killed in a gunfight with security forces in Lawaypora last month were involved in militancy, Inspector General of PoliceKashmir Vijay Kumar said on Monday and added that police will soon convince their parents of it with concrete evidence.

“Their involvement has been — almost 60 per cent — proved. We are getting the data and we will convince their parents,” he said.

He said the police were not sharing the information as yet deliberately as the issue was very sensitive.

“According to the meta data we have collected so far, all the three associates who were killed in the encounter were involved in militancy. They were providing logistic support (to militants). We want to take a few more days so that we collect all the evidence which we will show to their parents first to convince them of their children’s involvement,” Kumar told reporters here.

Security forces had said the three local militants were killed in the encounter in Lawaypora on the outskirts of Srinagar in the last week of December, but their families claimed that the youths were civilians.

Asked about the demand for handing over the bodies of the trio to their families, Kumar said there was no question of it because their involvement in militancy has been proved.

The IGP said the bodies of slain militants or militant associates are not being handed over to their families in view of the Covid-19 pandemic as people might assemble in funerals and violate protocols.

“The protocol is followed in case of death of a civilian, but, if we hand over the bodies of militants or associates, people get emotional and attend the funerals in thousands,” he said.

Kumar said the pandemic has not ended yet and if the bodies of militants or militant associates are handed over to their families, then it will be difficult to stop people from gathering.