Srinagar, July 10: This small neighbourhood of Gangbugh Tengpora depicts gloom and anger over the killing of two persons. The roads are derelict and houses abandoned with broken windowpanes everywhere in sight.
Everyone has left his home. They are consoling the bereaved families of deceased Muzaffar Ahmad Bhat, Fayaz Ahmad Wani and injured Mushtaq Ahmad, the victims of police and paramilitary CRPF action early this week.
Living in a small house with loads of hay on its balcony down a narrow lane,
Bashir Ahmad Bhat, father of Muzaffar, said his son had been in fields for work as usual on the fateful day. “After returning to his home around noon, he had his lunch and slept in his room. He left home around 3 pm without informing anyone of us,” Bhat said with streams of tears coming out of his eyes.
Muzaffar had left his home to join his friends in a playground near flood channel. “We learnt from his friends, two children and a few eyewitnesses that they were sitting in a shady side of the ground. Suddenly police vehicles surrounded them from all sides. His friends ran and swam across the waters but he along with two children could not swim. He handed over his wallet containing some money to the children,” brother of the deceased, Nissar Ahmad, told Greater Kashmir, adding, “When the police caught him the children were there. We came to know that policemen ruthlessly beat him.”
His father said that both the children have already deposed before the senior officials of police. “There was no other option but to protest demanding Muzaffar’s release. We thought that police might have arrested him because people searched him in the water canal but could not trace his body,” his father said with moist eyes. He said that around 5 am police and CRPF again swung into action by firing teargas canisters on protesters. The family accused that police dumped his body that time.
“Around 9 am Muzaffar’s body was fished out by civil defence on the same spot where 20-30 people had already searched last night. When we saw his body, his forehead was swollen with injury mark on it. Blood was oozing out of his ears. We could not believe the official theory that Bhat drowned in the canal and we have every reason for it,” the family said.
Muzaffar’s mother with moist eyes said they don’t need any compensation for his blood but only justice that murderers should be booked.
Fayaz Ahmad Wani, an employee of Floriculture department left his home on Tuesday morning at around 6 am. He was the father of two daughters, one eight months old and other three year old. Outside, he joined protests against Muzaffar’s disappearance.
“Police and CRPF on the other side of the flood channel fired teargas canisters on protesters. Then they fired upon the protesters, killing Fayaz Ahmad on the spot,” his brother Muzaffar Ahmad Wani told Greater Kashmir at his home in Gangbugh.
Amid a group of women, his mother said that they demand justice. “He was not carrying any weapon or stone. They were protesting peacefully. Why was my son killed- the father of 8-month old Aisha and 3-year old Mariam. Mariam searches for her father while the little one doesn’t know anything. Who can provide succor to them,” she asked.
Both the families said that they don’t need any compensation but the killers should be punished.
Injured 11th grade student Mushtaq Ahmad Dar is another victim of the police action at Gangbugh. He has been discharged from Bone and Joint Hospital Friday.
“Everyone was on roads protesting ‘Muzaffar Ko Pesh Karo’ that night. I was also among them. Police and CRPF fired upon us directly and a bullet hit my left thigh,” Muzaffar said in his home surrounded by large number of people.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST