E-Paper
Omar Abdullah stages protest against Hyderpora killings, calls off after families inform of assurance to return bodies
Earlier in the day, a statement by the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s office informed that the administration has directed an additional district magistrate to investigate the Hyderpora encounter and also promised suitable action soon after the report is submitted.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday staged a sit-in protest at Gupkar near his home in Srinagar, demanding the return of bodies of the two civilians who were killed during an encounter between police and terrorists in Hyderpora on Monday.
Taking to Twitter, the official account of JKNC wrote that the protest was “called off” after the family of the slayed civilians “informed him (Abdullah) that the authorities have assured the return of dead bodies.”
Abdullah, along with People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, has been vocal about the controversial encounter in Hyderpora and the death of Altaf Ahmad Bhat and Mudasir Gul. While Jammu and Kashmir Police have stated that both of them were “overground workers” of the two terrorists, who were gunned down in the encounter, their families said the civilians were used as “human shields” and killed in “cold blood.”
Also Read | Hyderpora encounter: ‘My son was killed under a conspiracy’
In a statement on Tuesday, inspector general (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said that the bodies of Bhat and Gul were buried 70km away in Handwara and not handed over to their families due to “law and order problems".
Kumar also said that Gul, who was a tenant of Bhat, was a top-ranked overground worker and involved in terror activities. The IG stated that Gul used to operate a terrorists’ module by bringing them from various corners of Kashmir. Notably, the shopping complex where the encounter unfolded on Monday night was owned by Bhat.
Mufti also staged a demonstration on Wednesday, saying that Mahatma Gandhi’s “India was being converted to Nathu Ram Godse’s India.” Stressing that Bhat and Gul were “innocent people,” the PDP chief added that the Jammu and Kashmir administration is “so cruel and insensitive” that it has declined to give their bodies to the families.
Earlier in the day, the Valley administration directed a magisterial investigation into the death of the two civilians amid severe outburst in the region. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s office informed in a statement that an additional district magistrate will probe the matter and also promised suitable action soon after the report is submitted. Assuring that no injustice is done, the statement added that the administration is committed to protecting the lives of civilians.
