Vikram Raj/ Yasir Yousuf
Terrified and shocked, tears are rolling down the cheeks of all inmates in the house of Imran Ahmed Dar, who was killed in an encounter in the Munar area of Yaripora in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. Scenes inside the house would tear apart any human heart, an Inconsolable mother, a father holding the portrait of Imran weeping loudly and repeating in a low voice, “Fathers should never have to bury their children.”
On Sunday, the Government Forces early morning laid a cordon and search operation in the Yaripora area of Kulgam. The Jammu Kashmir Police issued a press release, that a Militant had been killed during the exchange of gunfire. The Police also said that they had made recoveries from the Militant. In a normal army nomenclature in Kashmir, recovery is a reference to Arms and Ammunition made from the slain Militant.
Hours later, Abdul Quyoom Dar (Government employee by profession) got a call that his son has been killed during the encounter. “It was a shocker to us all, my brother had no distant affiliation to Militancy, the whole village we live in is in utter disbelief of Imran having died in an encounter.” Local residents The Kashmiriyat spoke to said that a day ahead of the Encounter Imran had been spotted near the petrol pump which is not more than 200 metres away from his home in Batengoo.
“He had a small argument with me, after which he left home on Thursday. Since then, he was staying with his friends and we had been in touch with all of them. On Saturday night around 9:30 PM, I saw him near the petrol pump. I shouted at him loudly asking him to return home,” Abdul Quyoom, his father said.
The next day, around 8 AM, Quyoom remembers, he got a call from the Police Station asking him to reach the Local Police station. The Police followed their standard operating procedure and buried Imran in North Kashmir miles away from his home in Down South. The family followed the trail of the dead body, however, they could not reach Handwara before Imran had been buried along with three other Militants killed in Bandipora.
One day after the death of his son, Abdul Quyoom Dar of Batengoo area in Anantnag knocked at the door of the Deputy commissioner in Anantnag district of South Kashmir and claimed that his son had been killed in a Fake encounter. The family demanded the lodgement of an FIR against the accused. Also, the family demanded an impartial probe into the incident.
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat the father of Imran said that the officials in the Administration have promised them full support and said that they will soon launch an enquiry into the encounter and the killing of Imran during the encounter.
The Kashmiriyat contacted the Deputy Commissioner of Anantnag who confirmed receiving the letter from the family and said that he will look into this matter. ‘The family has approached me and i will try to help them as much as possible.”
Here’s the transcript of the letter.
The Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag
Subject: Appeal for justice and lodging of an FIR in an allegedly fake encounter at Munad Kulgam.
Respected Sir,
With humble submission, I Abdul Qayoom Dar S/o Haji Ab Wahab Dar R/o Batengoo Anantnag da submit here that
1. On 25-07-2021 at about 8:00 am, I received a call from the sarpanch of my village that you should present yourself along, with your son namely Imran Qayoom Dar, at Police Post Khanabal as he had been directed by the D.O of the said police post along with a warning that you and your son should present yourself without fail. After some time received one more call from the Police-Post Khanabal itself and they too informed me the same.
2. That I being away from home couldn’t reach the police post instantly, I took the matter lightly as I couldn’t think in my wildest dreams that anything terrible would happen. Near about 4:00 Pm I reached police Post Khanabal where they showed me the photograph of my son’s dead body. Meanwhile, the news about an encounter at the village Munad area of Kulgam was broadcasted that one unidentified militant was killed on different social media platforms. I was in a deep state of shock to see the photograph of my dead san.
3. That I contacted D.O concerned and Dysp who assured me that you can collect the dead body of your son from PCR Srinagar which is lying there.
4. That at the same time I along with my family rushed to PCR Srinagar where we were informed that the dead body had been despatched to graveyard Handwara for proper burials about 2: 30 Pm. And we were asked that you are late and the concerned police post should have Informed the family and at the same time they should have intimated us about the claimant of the dead body
5. Now it is submitted that my son namely Imran Qayoom Dar was not involved in militancy-related activities neither has any member of our family supported any anti-national activities ever.
6. That my son was a civilian and we hadn’t a lot of doubt about that. He was moving freely like any other civilian. Last time he was seen by me at a petrol pump on 24-07-21 at 6:00 P which is nearby our house.
7. That within less than 24 hours I saw the photograph of his dead body assuring me that he was killed in a fake encounter at Munad kulgam.
8. That I request your good self kindly, look into the matter personally and help the family to retrieve his dead body and an FIR should be lodged to investigate the matter properly so that Justice is delivered as we are law biding family.
Yours Faithfully
Abdul Qayoom Dar
Father of Imran Qayoom Dar
R/O Batengoo Anantnag
Copy to
Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of UT of J&K for favor of Information
SSP Anantnag for favor of information