‘Either prove our kin were militants or return their bodies’
Pulwama: The three families from South Kashmir, whose kin were killed in alleged encounter in Lawaypora on 30th December last year, sought probe by a special investigation team (SIT).
The three youth namely Athar Mushtaq resident of Bellow Pulwama, Aijaz Ahmad resident of Putrigam Pulwama and Zubair Ahmad lone were killed by troops at Lawaypora in the outskirts of Srinagar on 30th of December last. While as police and army claimed that the trio were militants, their families insist that the trio were innocent and killed in a staged encounter.
The families also urged authorities to break the silence on the incident and either prove their wards militants or return their bodies.
Questioning the silence, Mushtaq Wani, father of Athar Mushtaq told a local news agency KNO that “Two weeks have passed but no investigation has been ordered. We too were silent as we had given time to the authorities to prove that our children were militants but they have failed to do so.” Wani urged authorities to “start the investigation at the earliest.”
Family members of Zubair Ahmad also said that if authorities prove their son was a militant, they will never seek his body.
“However, if they have failed to get single evidence against him, then they must return his body and punish the culprits who killed him,” they said.
Mohammed Maqbool, father of Aijaz Ahmad also echoed the same and said that authorities must come clear and break the silence.
The families of the trio also said that if they were hardcore OGWs then there would have been at least a single FIR registered against them.
“If they would have joined militant ranks, they would have called their families once that they got trapped but we didn’t receive any call in 18-hour long encounter,” they said.
“Trio were innocent and were killed in a fake encounter,” they said while requesting authorities to constitute SIT and investigate the matter besides returning their dead bodies.
Earlier, Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha said that he will come up with facts about the Lawaypora encounter at an “appropriate time.”
“Let me tell you that J&K is a very sensitive UT. I have noted all versions including that of forces’ and the families of the (slain trio). I will come up with facts before you at an appropriate time,” he said.
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