- “ What was our father’s fault, why we haven’t been given our father’s body”, asks Altaf’s daughter
- “My son was working as a labourer in Sgr, have myself killed militants, how can my son be a militant”, says father of Banihal youth
Srinagar : Family members of three slain persons in Hyderpora encounter—building owner Altaf Ahmed, Mudasir Gul and Amir Ahmed Tuesday urged the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to help them in taking the bodies of their loved ones back home for proper burial.
Daughter of building owner Altaf Ahmed, a resident of Old-Barzulla, Srinagar told a local news agency that her father left home wearing a jacket and sweater and they lost contact with him after the encounter took place on Monday evening. “We urge the LG Manoj Sinha to direct police to return my father’s body so that we can see him one last time and give him a proper burial bath,” she said amid tears. “What was the fault of my father, why was he killed? Why didn’t the police allow us to see our father one last time. My brother studies in class 3, he is unaware of his father’s killing.”
Police said that Altaf was killed in a cross fire at the encounter site. Family members of slain Mudasir Gul, a resident of Rawalpora area of Srinagar outskirts, staged a protest at press enclave Srinagar and demanded the return of their son’s body. “He has two little kids and we want to show them the face of their father one last time.
Police should return the body of our son,” said the wailing mother of slain Mudasir, adding that her son was innocent. She also appealed LG Manoj Sinha to direct police to return the body of Mudasir to their family so that they can see him one last time. Other family members and relatives of slain Mudasir out rightly rejected police claim that the slain was an OGW stating that “Mudasir had no militant links and was innocent.”
Police said Mudasir had provided his rented accommodation to the militants for using the same hideout and he was also working as an OGW for militants.
According to police, a foreign militant, his local associate from Banihal, building owner Altaf, and an OGW Mudasir were killed in Hyderpora encounter. However, the father of third slain youth identified as Amir from Banihal said that he came to know about the killing of his son in the morning. “I was told that my son is a militant. Let me tell you that he was working in Srinagar as a labourer. I have myself killed militants and faced militants. Now today, we are being labelled as militants. How can my son be a militant,” he said. “I urge LG Manoj Sinha to allow me to take my son Amir’s body back to Banihal where I can perform his last rites.”
