Srinagar: The family of the man, killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district last week, recorded their statements as part of the inquiry ordered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha following allegations that it was a “fake encounter”.
LG Sinha on Friday ordered a magisterial probe into the encounter in Arahama area of the central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district in which one alleged terrorist was killed by security forces.
Several mainstream leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, had raised questions about the encounter that took place on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday last week.
While the Army claimed that it had killed a local terrorist, the family of Rashid Ahmad Mughal stated that the deceased had no links to terrorism.
As part of the inquiry, statements were sought by the magistrate and the process to record the statements began on Monday.
“Notices were posted in our village, through the district administration, seeking to record statements. We came here to record our statements,” Mughal’s cousin, Imran Ahmad, told reporters outside the office of the district magistrate, Ganderbal.
Ahmad said hundreds of people, including women, were ready to record their statements “but since it would have been very difficult, only a few came today”.
“Others will come tomorrow, and then more the next day. We will all come to record our statements,” he added.
To a question whether there was any pressure on the family from the police or administration, Ahmad said there was no pressure.
“We are grateful to the police, and are hopeful of getting justice from the police, the district administration and the LG,” he said. The family demanded that Mughal’s body be returned for a proper burial.
“Our demand is that we want the body of our brother back. We also want that his killers be identified and the tag on him (of being a terrorist), which is totally a lie, be removed,” he said.
