Srinagar, Feb 13: Residents of Brein Nishat Thursday formed a Coordination Committee to seek justice for 16-year old Zahid Farooq. The committee held its first meeting today and demanded strict punishment for the accused BSF commandant, R K Birdi, of 68 battalion.
“We have been reiterating that the BSF commandant had fired upon Zahid and he is the killer. Now he has been placed under suspension but we want his arrest,” Muhammad Shafi, the spokesman of the Committee told Greater Kashmir. “It is the commandant who had snatched a rifle from a constable and fired upon Zahid. He is the accused and he should be punished,” he added.
Last week, when BSF had owned Zahid’s killing, the special director general of BSF, P P S Sidhu had said that their “internal inquiry has revealed that there is possibility of constable, Lakhvinder Kumar, of 68 battalion being involved in the teenager’s killing.”
 However, the family and the neighbours of Zahid maintained that the victim was shot at by a BSF commandant and not by the constable. They had said that this was a “cover-up” to save the officer.
 “We have seen in the past how the officers of various armed forces went scot-free after killing people. We want the commandant to be arrested by police and action be initiated against him,” the spokesman said, adding, “Mere suspension is not enough.”
 He said that the eyewitnesses to the incident of February 5, 2010 had given a statement before Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar and Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar in Police Station Nishat that they saw the officer alighting from a Gypsy and snatching the rifle of one of his subordinates. “He had fired upon Zahid without any provocation,” witnesses had said.
 “There is enough evidence against him and he should not be spared failing which we would launch an agitation,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST