Omar Takes Up Civilian Killings With Centre, Says His Govt Will Also Initiate Probe

Srinagar : Asserting that he has taken up the matter of youth’s suicide and the killing of a truck driver with the Centre, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday announced that his government would also initiate a probe in both the incidents.
Police said that a suspected Over Ground Worker (OGW), Makhan Din, who was called for questioning, at Billawar in Kathua district committed suicide.
Meanwhile, a truck driver, Waseem Ahmed Malla, was killed in a firing incident after he allegedly ignored a security checkpoint in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.
Expressing concern, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to X and wrote: “I have seen the reports of excessive use of force & harassment of Makhan Din in police custody in Billawar leading to his suicide and the death of Waseem Ahmed Malla, shot by the army under circumstances that are not entirely clear. Both these incidents are highly unfortunate and should not have happened.”
“J&K will never be completely normalised and free of militancy without the cooperation of & partnership with the local population. Incidents like these risk alienating the very people who we need to carry with us on the road to complete normalcy,” he added.
The Chief Minister assured that the government is committed to ensuring a transparent and time-bound investigation into both incidents. “I have taken up these incidents with the Union Government & insisted that both incidents are inquired into in a time-bound, transparent manner. The Government in J&K will also order its own inquiries,” he wrote