Mehar Qadri / Fizala Khan
On the 30th of December, 2020, Jammu Kashmir Police along with joint Government forces claimed to have killed three militants during an ‘alleged’ encounter at Lawaypora, Srinagar. However, the families of the slain youth have claimed that their children were not militants and were killed without any provocation.
The trio identified as Ajaz Maqbool Ganie, Ather Mushtaq, both residents of Pulwama, and Zubair Lone, a resident of Shopian. The Police claimed that one AK-47 rifle and two pistols along with other incriminating material was recovered from the site of the encounter. Ather Mushtaq was a 16-year-old minor, who studied in Class 11th, Ajaz Ganaie was a university student, and Zubair Lone was a mason and carpenter.
At around 4 pm, after identifying the bodies of their sons, the families were denied permission to take the bodies home for burial. Instead, authorities took their corpses to a remote area in the Sonmarg area of North Kashmir and lowered them into graves that remain under army surveillance dug by bulldozers instead of proper religious rituals.
The family members of the three youth, who the government forces claimed were ‘militants’, killed in the encounter on December 30, held a protest at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, demanding an inquiry into the encounter. The family members also demanded that the dead bodies of the three killed in the encounter should be returned to them for burial in their native places. Following the alleged encounter and protest, on January 1st, Srinagar’s markets observed shutdown as a mark of protest against the killing of the three youths.
The three killed youths had clean records in all police stations.
I had Dug Graves for Many Militants Earlier, But His Grave Haunts me
The family of 23 – year – old Zubair Ahmad Lone in Turkwangam village of the Shopian district, demands justice and returning of their kin’s body. Ghulam Mohammad Lone, Zubair’s father, said that his son left home on the afternoon of December 29 as he was in the construction business.
Turkwangam, in which the Lone family lives, is one of the most volatile villages in the Shopian district. Despite this, his family says that Zubair Lone had never run into trouble with the Government forces.
Zubair Lone was the youngest of five sons of Ghulam Lone. The Kashmiriyat spoke to his father and he said that his son was too occupied with work to have been engaged in any militant activities. “Everyone in the village knows how much his work meant to him. The police can say anything but I know my son was innocent,” Ghulam Lone said.
According to Zubair’s father, two of Lone’s brothers work for Jammu Kashmir Police. He said, “Many families were indeed harassed by security forces here but they never entered this house and now my son is gone”.
The Kashmiriyat spoke to Zubair Lone’s brother, who works for Jammu Kashmir Police and he said, “I never thought I would have to bury my own brother, let alone live to see him tagged a militant and be killed in an encounter. I never thought the place I visit almost every week will haunt me the way it does now. Every time I had to shovel and dig a grave, I would shake and wither. But my brother’s grave was dug by bulldozers, with our phone torches being the only source of light. It was so dark and cold. I buried my heart along with my brother. Our lives will never be the same”.
The family is in a complete state of shock, according to Zubair’s elder brother Riyaz Ahmed Lone. The Kashmiriyat spoke to him and he said, “We have nothing to do with all this. My brother left home on Tuesday afternoon after having lunch with the family and said that he will return in the evening or by tomorrow, he had to get my bike back from a repairing shop, but he never returned”.
“Our mother and father are devastated. No one can comply with their state, no consoling, and the cradle will bring back their son. Now that Zubair will never return, we only ask for his body. I lie to them with fake courage and tell them that I will deliver justice to our family, but my will breaks. They do not react to any news that comes forwards anymore. My mother has not got out of her bed for days,” he added.
Riyaz also strongly addressed that the family will continue to strive and protest until the officials do not hand over the bodies of the killed youths in the alleged encounter.
Police Refuses to Return Bodies
The Inspector-General of Police – Kashmir Vijay Kumar, today in a press conference shared that the three youths killed in the gunfight with government forces in Lawaypora, last month were all involved in militancy. He added that the police shall soon gather evidence and prove their parents of the same.
Kumar further shared that the police were not sharing any information on the matter as yet on purpose, as the issue is very sensitive. Being asked about handing over the bodies of the trio to their respective families, the IGP shared that there was no question about that since their militancy has been proved. “The protocol is followed in case of death of a civilian, but, if we hand over the bodies of militants or associates, people get emotional and attend the funerals in thousands”, said the IGP.
“Till the pandemic does not end, we will not hand over the bodies of militants or militant associates. Then we will have to fight the people, use tear gas, or maybe even pellets. Then also, you will criticize us. The bodies of slain militants have been buried in the presence of their family members. So, there is no logic in another burial”, added Kumar.
The Kashmiriyat spoke to Zubair’s younger brother Aaquib and he said, “We are assertive that my brother was not involved in any activities that could have cost him his life. They are making excuses until they can forge evidence against my brother. Isn’t that what happened in Amshipura (Shopian Fake Encounter) too? They will never find any evidence”.
He further added, “My brother left our house at 3 pm and the locals said that he was still around the village before he left. You do the math, it takes two hours to reach Srinagar from where we live, how can he turn a militant in two hours? We want his body back. We will fight until justice is delivered”.
He further added that the malice and cantankerous authorities have a record of fake encounters. He added, “From clerk to higher authorities, no one can be trusted. They are all working together. The other two who were killed, we have never met them, how can they be involved in a conjoined attack, when my brother was not even in contact with them? We will keep fighting for the truth”.
Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, a government – contractor turned apple trader, who is the father of Ather Mushtaq, the 16 – year – old minor killed in the encounter has since protested and fought for his son. Mushtaq has dug his son’s grave and now asks for his body.
He was the Only Companion of His Sick Grandfather
The Kashmiriyat spoke to Ather’s uncle, Mohammad Shafi Wani and he said, “All higher officers have discarded their vocality on the statements. It is only the IGP who is holding press conferences and publicly turning the situation. They are all pawns, giving the same statements”.
He further added, “If our boy was an OGW or a militant as they claim, they should have arrested him, all their claims are based on these conditions until proven. What if he was not a militant? What if he had nothing to do with being an OGW?”
“Ather was so polite, so kind. He was very close to his grandfather. He would never go out to play with other boys. His grandfather was his companion, he would look after him”.
Ather’s grandfather and mother were hospitalized the day before yesterday. His grandfather was blind and sick, Ather was his only companion and he could not sustain the trauma of losing Ather. Since then, his grandfather is on medical support.
Shafi further added, “Ather gave all his exams, it is impossible for him to have attended all his papers and also work as a militant. He was not absent even for a day”.
Talking about the family’s demands to return the bodies, Shafi said, “We will continue to ask for his body. Our child was a minor, he was innocent. If even after our repeated quest for justice, they do not return the body, we will pursue legal action against the authorities, that is for sure”.