Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday hit out at Jammu and Kashmir administration for not returning the mortal remains of Aamir Magrey, who was killed in the Hyderpora shootout in November last year, in disregard to orders of the High Court.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court last week ordered for exhuming the body of a civilian, who was dubbed as a terrorist by police during the Hyderpora encounter in November last year, and handing it to his family for last rights.
“While we mourn today’s tragic killing, LG admin shows brazen disregard for HC orders to return Aamir Magrey’s body to his family. Got a text from his grieving father who is still begging for his son’s remains. Shameful & deeply disturbing,” Mufti tweeted and posted a screenshot of the message sent by Aamir’s father Latief Magray.
Aamir’s father has asked the PDP president to raise the issue of returning the mortal remains with the Inspector General of Police.
“This is the state of affairs here. A father’s young son is killed in a so-called ‘chance encounter’. Months later, instead of demanding justice by punishing the culprits, his family is reduced to begging for the son’s remains,” Mufti added.
Justice Sanjeev Kumar had said in his 13-page order, “I am inclined to allow this petition of the father of the deceased Amir Latief Magrey and direct the respondents (Jammu and Kashmir government) to make arrangements for exhumation of the body/remains of the deceased…from the Wadder Payeen graveyard in presence of the petitioner”.
The court said that however, if the body is, “highly putrefied and is not in deliverable state or is likely to pose risk to public health and hygiene, the petitioner and his close relatives shall be allowed to perform last rites as per their tradition and religious beliefs in the…graveyard itself.”
In that situation, the state shall pay to the petitioner Mohammad Latief Magrey a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for deprivation of his right to have the dead body of his son and give him a decent burial as per the family traditions, religious obligations and faith which the deceased professed when he was alive, the order said.
The bodies of two more civilians Altaf Ahmad Bhat and Dr Mudasir Gul, who were killed in the Hyderpora encounter, were exhumed and returned to the families following an outcry days after the encounter.
