Varmul, Aug 11: Amid clashes between the protesters and police in which 23 people were injured, the body of the Syed Farukh Bukhari was laid to rest at Eidgah Kreeri in north Kashmir. Amid pro-freedom slogans, thousands of people attended the funeral of the 19-year old media student who was allegedly tortured to death in police custody.
As the body was brought out of the Sub-District Hospital Kreeri, where a team of doctors conducted the post mortem of the slain youth, the entire area was charged with emotions. Women were wailing, pulling their hair and beating their chests while thousands of people were jostling to carry the body of the young Mass Communication student on their shoulders.
 Later the body was laid to rest at the Eidgah Kreeri where thousands of people attended the funeral prayers.
 Bukhari was part of the protest march which took place on July 28 from Kreeri to Chooru. The protesters were chased by policemen at Chooru and dozens of them were arrested. According to residents of Kreeri, although most of the protesters arrested were released but not Bukhari.
 One of the friends of Bukhari said that both of them were picked up by police at Chooru.
 “As we reached near Chooru a group of policemen arrested both of us, Farukh was taken away in a separate vehicle,” said Khursheed Ahmad who was released a few days back.
 The locals said the body bore torture marks.
 According to reports, the autopsy was conducted last night by a team of three doctors constituted by BMO Kreeri in the presence of Deputy Commissioner Varmul, SSP Varmul and Naib Tehsildar.
 Well placed sources told Greater Kashmir that the face of the slain youth was putrefied, while the right hand was amputated but the cloths were intact. The head of the slain youth, according to sources, had a major injury and the eyes and ears were absent.
 The report, according to sources, has been sent to the FSL to ascertain the cause of the death but sources told Greater Kashmir that the body might have been placed at the spot just 48 hours before being located.
 The locals said when the body was located, Farukh’s wallet was intact and they recovered some 650 rupees, I-card and two mobile sets but both the mobile sets had Sim cards missing.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST