Stating that police will convince the families that their sons were involved in militancy, Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, on Monday said that they won’t hand over the bodies of three alleged militants killed in Lawaypora last month.
“It is a sensitive matter and that is why we are not sharing the details about the matter,” the IGP told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. “So far the data collected by us shows that all the three associates killed in the encounter were involved in providing logistics (to militants).”
“Their involvement has been proved almost by 60% and data is coming. We will place everything before their parents to convince them about the involvement of their children.”
“We want to take more time. It will take 10 ten more days to show to their parents and convince them where their children were involved,” he said, adding that evidence is being collected that included a technical one.
He said that bodies won’t be handed over to families due to the pandemic. “Due protocol is being followed whenever there is civilian death,” he said in case they give the body of any militant or associate, people turn up in thousands and the Covid-19 is not over yet. “Thousands of people will come and they either have to be dispersed by firing teargas shells or pellets,” he said adding that there can be further loss. “That won’t be allowed to happen.”
IGP Kumar said that till there is Covid-19 police won’t be returning bodies of militants to families. “You have seen that people get emotional in the burial of militants or their associates and people do not follow our directions, unlike in case of the civilian deaths,” he said.
About Shopian fake encounter and involvement of money, he said that things were “misinterpreted by the media and social media.” He said that money is given to the informer in every encounter. “It is not given to any officer whether from police, military or paramilitary,” he said adding that in this case, company commander has given the money as promised to the informer and the informer has himself recorded before the magistrate under 164 IPC that money has been given to him. “They have not said Major or CO has been given the money and it has been misinterpreted in the media and social media.”
The IGP said police and other security forces were ready in view of 26 January functions. “Nakas and CASOs have been started. Whatever technical and human resources we are having are being utilised fully.” The Kashmir police chief said that militants will carry out some incident but police was alert. “Every effort will be made to prevent it,” he said. “We will also make preventive arrests.”