Court issues fresh show cause notice to DM in drowning case
Srinagar, Sep 02: The court of Forest Magistrate Srinagar on Saturday issued a fresh show cause notice to District Magistrate Srinagar, asking him to explain as to why action under law should not be initiated against him, for failing to produce case diary in Yaseen Sheikh drowning case.
On June 19, 2018, the court had directed the District Magistrate Srinagar to produce case diary with regard to the death Muhammad Yaseen Sheikh, who drowned after he was allegedly chased by cops last year.
“Despite service of notice you didn’t submit the requisite record and vide order dated 10 July 2018 notice was issued to you asking to explain as to why you may not be proceeded against for willful disobedience of the order passed by this court. But again neither record nor any response on your behalf was submitted,” reads an earlier notice.
Now a fresh show cause notice has been issued to District Magistrate Srinagar which reads: “You are once again called upon through this notice to show cause as to why you may not be proceeded against for having floated and violated the directions of the court failing which appropriate proceeding as warranted under law shall be initiated against you.”
The court forwarded this notice to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir for serving it upon the District Magistrate with a copy to Divisional Commissioner Kashmir for information.
The police had initiated investigation into the death of Sheikh under section 174 CrPc (accidental/ mysterious death). However, the victim’s family alleged that “Sheikh was chased to death by the accused persons and pleads for registration of murder case against them.”
Abdul Jabber Sheikh, father of Mohammad Yaseen Sheikh, aged 27, alleges that his son lost his life to “cold blooded murder” by the police on June 24, 2017.
He said on that fateful day, the victim was returning with a friend to his home when they were stopped by the cops, who asked them to come with them to the police station.
“At this, Shiekh ran away, while the cops chased him. The victim jumped into the flood spill channel at Alochi Bagh in order to save himself, but he drowned,” alleges father.
He says the cops caught hold of his friend, the eyewitness, and “didn’t allow him to move despite the victim’s cries for help”.
According to an eyewitness, Mudasir Ahmad Mir, “The victim while drowning in the flood channel shouted loudly for help and was asking the cops for help, but the latter watched him drowning and didn’t allow the eye-witness (Mir) to save the victim till the victim disappeared in the damp soil.”
The victim’s father also alleges that the SHO concerned threatened to kill him and his other family members in case the pursued the case.
The counsel for the victim, Maroof Khan said “Yaseen Sheikh was murdered by the accused after he resisted cops’ action to take away his money and memory chip on 24 June last year.”
He says there should not be any delay in delivering justice to the victim.
“We are satisfied with the court order as the court has watched this case seriously and we hope that court delivers justice to the victim’s family,” he added.
The victim family is seeking directions to police for registration of FIR against Mudasir, Adil and Zahid, special police officers (SPOs) posted in Police Station Shergarhi.
