By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: Funeral prayers of Muslim youths killed in a gory ‘encounter’ by Telangana police – but their families have refused to call it so and alleged deliberate killing – has passed off peacefully.
The mortal remains of Mohammed Vikaruddin, Mohammed Haneef, Amjed Ali and Riyaz Khan were handed over to their respective families at Warangal Mahatma Gandhi General Hospital where autopsy was conducted. The funeral prayers were held on Wednesday night.
Funeral procession of Vikar and Amjed.
Body of Izhar Khan, a resident of Lucknow, will be collected by his family that is expected to arrive in the city on Thursday.
Telangana police had on Tuesday morning shot dead these five Muslim youths, accused in terror cases while they were being shifted from Warangal prison to Hyderabad Criminal court for a trial. Police claimed to have opened fire when the accused tried to snatch a weapon from a policeman in the running vehicle between Aler and Jangaon, about 80 km from Hyderabad in an area bordering Warangal and Nalgonda districts. However, their families, lawyers and civil rights activists find the police version questionable and have termed it as a ‘revenge’ and ‘retaliation’ against the death of cops in another encounter few days back.
Earlier families of the deceased had announced that they will not be performing last rites of their children till the government ordered CBI inquiry. But it is learned that after persuasion from local Muslim political leaders and top cops that delay in funeral will create turmoil in Hyderabad, families conceded and agreed for the last rites.
Uneasy large crowds were waiting outside the homes of deceased to receive their dead bodies. Family member’s made frantic appeals to the crowd to remain calm.
Unprecedented security arrangements were made across the old city, especially on the funeral prayer route stretching from Malakpet to Sultanshahi. Rapid Action Force forced all business establishments in and around the vicinity to close down.
Namaz-e-Janaza of Vikaruddin and Amjed was held at Masjid-e-Noor after Maghrib prayers in old Malakpet. Vikaruddin’s funeral procession was taken out from Malakpet to Sultan Shahi where he was buried in the local graveyard. While Amjed’s burial took place at Burhan-e-Shah shahb darga graveyard.
Riyaz Khan alias Zakir’s funeral prayer and burial took place at Masjid-e-Muneer in Riyasatnagar. Deceased Mohammed Haneef was from Gujarat who was settled in Hyderabad, his close family members arrived late night and his funeral prayer was offered in Musheerabad.
Hundreds of local Muslims from different localities attended funeral prayers raising slogans against the police and TRS government. No untoward incident occurred during the whole episode expect a mild tension at Volta hotel in Moghalpura where in the midnight stone pelting was reported on police vehicles. But soon the situation was brought under control with huge police deployment.
Related:
Will not perform last rites till govt orders CBI enquiry: Families of ‘encounter’ victims
It’s not an encounter, its revenge killing by Telangana police: Advocate of the deceased
Act or else resign, CLMC to Telangana CM on “Telangana encounter”
Muslim cop killed during Nalgonda SIMI encounter buried with state honors
Conspiracy to push Muslim youth towards terrorism: Mushawarat