Family demands whereabouts; 4 policemen suspended
SRINAGAR: Family members and relatives of a local youth staged a protest against his alleged mysterious disappearance from Police Station Maharaj Ganj here on Monday.
Amid heavy snowfall, scores of protesters, mostly women, from Palapora Pamposh Conlony Noorbagh area of Srinagar city assembled at Press Enclave demanding whereabouts of Tariq Ahmed Matta who according to them was picked up by a police party from Maharaj Gunj police station during a raid on February 1 last month from his residence.
Parveena Akhtar, leading the protest, told reporters that police raided her house and picked up her husband Tariq with the assurance that he will be released after questioning. Police party informed us that Tariq will be questioned for a burglary incident. From past one month we had been visiting police station demanding his release, but every time we were forced to leave from the police chowki with an assurance that he will be released tomorrow, she said.
Feroz Ahmed, the brother of Tariq, the family approached Court for the bail of Tariq. When we presented bail before the Munshi of the Chowki, he refused to release Tariq citing the absence of SHO from the Chowki as the reason. For two days, the Munshi avoided us and when we approached him the next day, the SHO assured us that Tariq will be released at 4 pm, he said adding that they met Tariq in lock up and his little son offered him a banana on March 14.
The next day on March 15 (Sunday) we received a phone call from Zainakadal Police Station. The caller informed us that Tariq has escaped from the police lock up. Soon after the call, a policeman in plain clothes arrived at our residence and claimed that Tariq fled from the police station. The same policeman tried to force the brother-in-law of Tariq, Showkat Ahmed Malik to sign on a paper accepting that police handed over Tariq to him, Feroz Ahmed told reporters adding that when Showkat refused to sign on paper, the policemen threatened him of dire consequences.
The protesters alleged that Tariq did not escape from police station and police has cooked a story to escape from the wrath of law.
The policeman in plain clothes who arrived at our home requested us not to raise hue and cry over the matter. Our jobs are in danger. We will provide you land and money to construct a new house. You just maintain silence, the brother of Tariq Ahmed quoting policeman as saying to Tariqs wife Parveena Akhtar said.
When contacted, SDPO Maharaj Ganj Ajaz Ahmed said that, two accused persons namely Muhammad Ramzan Shiekh son of Muhammad Jamal resident of Khudwani Kulgam and Tariq Ahmad Mathanji resident of PamposhColony Srinagar involved in case vide FIR number 70/2014, 9/2015 under section 457 380 RPC managed to flee form custody of police station M.R.Gunj during intervening night of March 14 and 15 this month and in this regard case FIR vide number 24/2015 under section 224 RPC stands registered and massive hunt to nab the duo is underway.
He said that four officials of the police station MR Gung, including Munshi and three constables were placed under suspension for their gross negligence and carelessness.