Srinagar: The families of Mohammad Altaf Bhat and Mudasir Gul, who police said were killed in cross-fire during Hyderpora gunfight last evening, on Tuesday contested the police claims and demanded that their bodies be handed over to them for a proper burial.
“We want justice. Hand our body to us,” Abdul Majeed, brother of Mohammad Altaf said.
Majeed said his brother was a father of three minor children with the youngest being just two. “My brother was working in Hyderpora Srinagar. He had six shops there. The first storey building has been rented by him to property dealers,” he said.
At 5 pm Monday, he said the military (police and army) came laid a cordon there. The shopkeepers were asked to down the shutters, he said, adding “that around 30-40 persons were confined in a shop.
“Then there was [a] burst (firing).”
He claimed that his brother was taken out from the shop for searches by the forces. “…third time, they again asked him to come out for searches. This time he was killed,” he alleged.
He said one of the slain is from Gool Ramban who was working as peon with property dealers. “People would call him doctor and I don’t know his real name.” However, the police said that the Gool resident was a “militant associate”.
Majeed said his brother Altaf called him when the cordon was laid. “Had there been militants, would they remain there? I want to say that we want justice. Give us body so that we complete last rites. If it is proved that my brother was even remotely involved, come and destroy our house,” he said.
Meanwhile, the family of Mudasir Gul held a protest at Press Enclave in Srinagar to demand his body.
“He left from his home yesterday morning. When we called him in the evening his phone was switched off. We just want his dead body. He was innocent. He has two young kids. We want justice,” said his sister.
She said that Mudasir was a doctor would mostly stay in Delhi. “He had arrived from Jammu just day before yesterday. Whatever is being said about him (by the police) is not true,” she said.
Refuting police version that he was providing logistic support to militants, family demanded his dead body to be returned for proper burial.
They also appealed to the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha to order an impartial probe into the killing of their son.
“He was a doctor and not a terrorist, had he been involved in any subversive activity, he would have either been arrested or killed way back. We refute police version that he was an over ground worker and was providing logistic support to militants,” said Ghulam Rasool, father-in-law of the slain doctor, who is survived with his aged parents, widow and two minor kids including 10-years-old daughter and five-years-old son.
His sister asked the police to correct their facts before leveling “baseless allegations against her brother”, saying “killing of my brother has proved that innocent people are being killed and passed off as militants.”
She also appealed to the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha to order an impartial probe so that the facts come to fore.
“We appeal to the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha to order an impartial probe into the killing of my brother so that the facts come to fore, we will not remain silent until and unless the police provide concrete evidence that my brother was directly or indirectly involved in militant activities,” she said.
