Jammu: Detained hours before her presser, PDP leader Iltija Mufti on Sunday demanded a judicial probe into the death of a youth, alleging tortured by police and committed suicide at his residence in Billawar tehsil of Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Iltija had to address a press conference at party headquarters this evening in Jammu after meeting the family of the deceased in Billawar.
In detention, Iltija Mufti speaking to reporters at the gates of the circuit house said that National Conference leader and Minister Javed Rana, was facilitated by the LG administration to visit Billawar.
“I am being treated like a gangster, like a fugitive,” she said adding, “we demand nothing less than a judicial inquiry into his death because inquiries conducted by the army and police never reach its logical conclusion.”
At the same time, she said that inquiry must also be ordered against the Station House Officer, Billawar, when families claimed that police torture youths and lodge fake militancy cases against them when they do not pay them the extortion money.
“My Jammu presser was regarding two cases of grave human rights violation. Many of the police officers are obeying their duties but the force has some black sheep, who must be brought to books,” she added.
“The government is not agreeing to a judicial probe because they know inquiry will bring out the truth and some officers will be terminated,” she added.
Iltija also said that the father of Makhan Din whom she met in Billawar, told her that he has no links with militancy but he was humiliated by the police.
Iltija however, earlier posted on X handle, “Detained at Circuit House Jammu now. All this because @JmuKmrPolice wanted me to cancel my press conference scheduled for 4 pm.”
“This is Naya Kashmir and the true face of it. The elected government is too busy hosting a lunch in Delhi to care about victims of human rights violations,” she posted.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the backdrop of Billawar and Baramulla incidents had said that he has taken up the matter with the Centre while the government of Jammu and Kashmir will also order its own inquiries.
Taking to X, Abdullah posted, “I have seen the reports of excessive use of force and 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.”
Meanwhile, clarifying that there was no crackdown in the Billawar town of Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir Police on February 6, had said the suspected Over Ground Worker (OGW) called for questioning but committed suicide at his residence and did not die due to custodial torture.
Deputy Inspector General, Jammu-Kathua Range, Shiv Kumar Sharma in a statement had stated that Makhan Din was the nephew of Pak exfiltrated terrorist Swar Din alias Swaru Gujjar and was helping in the same group that conducted the Badnotta Army Convoy attack in July 2024 in which four Army Jawans were martyred. It is the same group which led to the killing and Martyrdom of HC Bashir in the Kohag Operation.
Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Rakesh Manhas had already ordered a magestrial inquiry into the incident.
UNI
