Anantnag: The family of Shahid Aejaz Rather, who according to the police was killed in a firing incident outside CRPF camp in Babapora area of Zainapora in Shopian district on Sunday, have urged the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha to give them access to CCTV footage of the incident.
A resident of Nowpora Arwani hamlet of Kulgam district, Shahid, as per the relatives, was the sole bread earner in the family.
Muhammad Hussain Rather, Shahid’s uncle, according to the news agency KNO said that they want to check CCTV footage of the incident to know whether their son was killed in target fire or in cross-firing.
“As the incident has just happened outside a CRPF camp, so CCTV footage must be available which will clearly show whether there was any attack or not, and whether Shahid was killed in target fire or in crossfire,” Rather said. “We urge the LG Manoj Sinha to allow us to watch the CCTV footage.”
Shahid’s father Aijaz Ahmad Rather said that his son was a 12th class student but couldn’t pursue studies due to poverty.
“He was working as a laborer. Around a week ago, he went to Reshiepora Zainapora to earn livelihood by helping in plucking apples there. He was to return home on Saturday but couldn’t due to heavy rains, so he decided to return on Sunday instead,” Rather said.
On Sunday morning, a local person was called by the concerned police station, who later informed us about his killing,” he said.
“Then we also saw his picture on social media and identified him,” Rather said, adding that they rushed to the concerned police post where they had to wait whole day for the body.
Rather said that the behavior of police at the police post was very kind and they too were saddened by his son’s death. “We received his body at around 7:30 pm,” he said.
“My son has never been involved in any wrong activity, if someone says otherwise, then we won’t demand anything. But if he wasn’t wrong in any way, then why was he killed?” Rather said.
“He was a very caring son but his killing has snatched everything from us,” he said.
“I have been operated thrice for a fracture in hand and foot, how can I take care of four minors and my wife, ” he said, while requesting LG administration for help.
KNO quoted a senior police official saying that Shopian police received information at around 1030 hrs on Sunday about an attack by militants on an Area Domination Patrol (ADP) of 178 Bn CRPF at Babapora, Shopian and killing of an unidentified person during the retaliation/cross-firing by the CRPF party.
He said that “preliminary investigation including examination of civilian eye-witnesses brought to the fore that the ADP party came under attack by the militants”.
“Attack was retaliated, however, during the cross-firing, a service rifle (AK-47) of a member of the ADP, who was at the rear-end, was snatched by one of the associates of militants,” the police officer said.
“He (the victim Shahid Aejaz Rather) was challenged and ordered to stop. He, however, kept running towards the direction from where the ADP party was being fired upon, and received bullet injuries in the cross-firing. One member of the ADP party also received injuries,” the police officer said.
The police official said that FIR No.130/2021 under section 307, 392, 353, 511-IPC,7/27 I.A. Act stands registered in Police Station Zainapora and investigation has been taken up.
