Bhat Yasir
On Monday evening, the Jammu Kashmir police claimed that an encounter had broken out between militants and the government forces in Hyderpora area of Srinagar city of central Kashmir, where 2 militants and a “militant associate” were killed. The next morning, however, it emerged that another “Over Ground Worker (O.G.W.)” was killed along with the three slain.
The four, as per the police, were identified as:
Haider, (alleged foreign militant)
Mohammad Amir from Ramban (alleged militant)
Mudasir Gul from Srinagar (alleged OGW)
And Mohammad Altaf Bhat from Srinagar (the owner of the complex and alleged militant associate)
Immediately after the incident, reports started emerging that the building-owner’s family and relatives protested against the police, pleading Mohd. Altaf’s innocence and demanded his body back. And today morning, the family of the slain Mudasir Gul, too, protested and said that he was a civilian killed in cold-blood and also demanded his body back.
Meanwhile, family of another slain Mohammad Amir (22) from Ramban, too, said that their son was an innocent civilian while talking to The Kashmiriyat. Mohammad Lateef Magrey, father of Amir, who works at the P.H.E. Department said that his son worked at Srinagar and refuted the police’s claims that he was a militant.
“When I woke up today morning, I heard that someone had killed my son,” he told The Kashmiryat, adding “I, along with the Sarpanch, came to Srinagar today, but the police there told us that Amir was a militant.”
“Hum toh pakke hindustani the lekin hum hi militant ban gaye (We were hardcore Indians and they’ve declared us militants now),” Amir’s father said while talking to The Kashmiriyat.
Amir’s father was a counter-insurgent, who claims to have killed the Militants in the past. “I, myself, have killed militants, and now my son becomes a militant?”
“We are migrants. We, too, are militants now? I appeal to the Lieutenant Governor, that we be returned the dead body of our son. We demand justice,” Amir’s father said while talking to The Kashmiriyat.
"My Son was working in Srinagar as a labourer. He wasn't a Militant. He was innocent."
Father of Slain from Gool Gulabgarh in Ramban#srinagarencounter pic.twitter.com/xpR6AFFpeq
— Qazi Shibli (قاضی شبلی) (@QaziShibli) November 16, 2021
A local resident, Mohammad Ashraf, said that Mohammed Amir Magrey was an innocent boy, Hifzeh Quran, and was now, working at some shop in Srinagar, as a helper.
Earlier, The Kashmiriyat had carried a story in the morning, where Mohd. Altaf’s brother had also mentioned ‘a Chaprasi from Gool Gulabgarh, Ramban along with Doctor Mudasir,’ along with Mudasir while narrating his ordeal.
Also Read: Family Protesting For Slain Mudasir’s Body Told ‘Body Dispatched To Handwara’
“Had he really been a militant, then why did the government provide security to his family. They’ve been provided security since the past 15 years,” Ashraf said.
“Lateef— Amir’s father, is a Hindustani and today his son was killed in Srinagar, labeled as militant,” he said with a disheartened voice.
“If they are Pakistani, then why did the government provide security to them? How did this boy become a ‘militant’ today?” Mohammad Ashraf asked.
He also warned that if the dead body isn’t provided to the family, they will protest in Ramban.
“If they (family) did not see their son’s face, they will die. Who will be responsible for that?” a local resident, Mohammad Ashraf, asked.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday morning, the IGP Kashmir said that two militants- a foreigner and a local, an OGW and the building-owner were killed in Hyderpora encounter. “OGW and house owner were killed in Cross firing,” IGP said. It is pertinent to mention that earlier, on Monday night, the police had claimed that Mohd. Altaf, the house owner was a ‘militant house.’
“The Police, CRPF, and Army launched a joint cordon after the Police received inputs that two-three militants are hiding at Hyderpora Bypass,” IGP Vijay Kumar said, during the Press Conference.
He said that when forces were conducting searches on the top floor, firstly, the militants didn’t open the door. “Then, the militants fired with their pistols upon forces and the forces opened fire in self-defense, which led to an encounter,” IGP Kashmir said.
IGP, further, said that “Two militants were killed in an encounter, one foreigner (Pakistani) and a local of Ramban-Banihal side.”
“2 Pistols, 3 Magazines, 6 phones, and other material was recovered from the encounter site,” he added.
Earlier, the families of Mudasir Gul and Mohammad Altaf protest and demanded the bodies of their kin.