Kin of 3 killed write to Lt Guv; families fear cover-up, tweets Omar
SRINAGAR: Former J&K chief minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Saturday said there should be progress in investigation into the killing of three Rajouri men in an alleged fake encounter on July 18 this year, after the families wrote a letter to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday. He added DNA samples of family members had also been collected to substantiate their claims, but reports had been delayed. “DNA samples were collected almost a month ago on August 13. The families have every reason to fear a cover-up, given the inordinate delay in receiving the DNA test reports. I hope their letter to the LG will result in progress now,” Omar tweeted on Saturday.
Three young men, Ibrar Ahmad, Imtiyaz Ahmad and Ibrar Ahmad, who were also related to each other, had been gunned down in an encounter on July 18. DNA samples from families had been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Srinagar, and the FSL at Chandigarh. Sources said the government had received the FSL report from Srinagar lab, but its content had not been made public.“Our children had left for Shopian on July 16, in search of work where one of our relatives Imtiyaz Ahmad works in the house of the ‘Lambardar’. After a couple of days, we lost contact with the children. So, we decided to lodge a missing complaint,” the letter says, adding that on August 10, they came to know, via social media, that all three had been killed in an encounter on July 18.“We identified them from viral pictures of bodies. On August 13, a Shopian police team collected DNA samples from us. We were assured that the DNA report would be out within ten days. To date, we have not been informed about the reports,” the plea to the Lt Governor continues. “Our children had no connection with militancy. For this, we are even demanding an inquiry. They were killed in cold blood, and were merely students and labourers. We are demanding an impartial and fair inquiry into the killings as well as the DNA reports, so that things can be made public,” reads the letter, while seeking personal intervention of Sinha. The families mention sacrifices they made for the country, with many members still serving in the army.