Srinagar, Nov 16: The families of Mohammad Altaf Bhat and Mudasir Gul, who police said were killed in cross-fire during Hyderpora gunfight last evening, on Tuesday contested the police claims and demanded that their bodies be handed over to them for a proper burial.
“We want justice. Hand our body to us,” Abdul Majeed, brother of Altaf Ahmad Dar was quoted as saying by news agency GNS.
Majeed said his brother was a father of three minor children with the youngest being just two. “My brother was working in Hyderpora Srinagar. He had six shops there. The first storey building has been rented by him to property dealers,” he said.
At 5 p.m., he said the military (police and army) came laid a cordon there. The shopkeepers were asked to down the shutters, he said, adding “that around 30-40 persons were confined in a shop. “Then there was [a] burst (firing).”
He claimed that his brother was taken out from the shop for searches by the forces. “…Third time, they again asked him to come out for searches. This time he was killed,” he alleged, as per the report.
He said one of the slain is from Banihal Gool who was working as peon with property dealers. “people would call him doctor and I don’t know his real name.” However, the police said that the Gool resident was a militant associate.
Majeed said his brother Altaf called him when the cordon was laid. “Had there been militants, would they remain there? I want to say that we want justice. Give us body so that we complete last rites. If it is proved that my brother was even remotely involved, come and destroy our house,” he said.
Meanwhile, the family of Mudasir Gul held a protest at Press Enclave in Srinagar to demand his body. “He left from his home yesterday morning. When we called him in the evening his phone was switched off. We just want his dead body. He was innocent. He has two young kids. We want justice,” said his sister.
She said that Mudasir would mostly stay in Delhi. “He had arrived from Jammu just day before yesterday. Whatever is being said about him (by the police) is not true,” she said.
Kashmir Police Chief Vijay Kumar on Tuesday told journalists during a press conference that the building owner, Mohammad Altaf Bhat was killed in cross fire along with another man identified as Mudasir Gul during the gunfight in which a foreign militant and his local associate were gunned down by the security forces. Kumar said that Gul was working as an overground worker with the militants.