By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net,
Tral (Dist Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir): Three days after one of its young man was killed – in what army called exchange of fire between army and militants but termed fake encounter by family – the town still showed signs of tension.
Massive protests had erupted here at Tral, in south Kashmir, on Tuesday, a day after a civilian youth was killed in the alleged army firing. Police used force to reign in the agitated gathering, resulting in injury to at least 10 people. On Wednesday, when TCN visited Tral, the town was still grieving amid shutdown, with a large contingent of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and J&K police personnel deployed in the area in a bid to tackle law and order problem.
Khalid Muzaffar Wani
The situation seemed almost curfew-like. The streets wore a deserted look and all shops and business establishments remained closed throughout the day.
In Sherifabad area of the town, in front of a modest two-story house, is a makeshift tent. Inside the tent, Muzaffar Ahmed Wani is being consoled by number of people, including Muslims and Sikh neighbours, condemning the brutal killing of his son Khalid Muzaffar Wani; asking him to maintain patience and have faith in God for the unbearable loss.
Sikh Neighbor expressing his sympathies with father of slain youth Khalid Muzaffar Wani
Even as there is a rush of people pouring in to express sympathies with Wani, principal of a local government school, from a nearby tent, one can regularly hear wails and cries of women similarly mourning Khalid’s death.
Khalid, 23, was pursuing his Masters in Economics as well as working part time as a technician in his uncle’s diagnostic laboratory. He was killed on April 13 in what army described as an exchange of fire between terrorists and army men. Khalid was the brother of Burhan Muzaffar, presently the topmost commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, who joined militant ranks in 2010. Burhan was just 15-year-old, studying in 10th class when he had joined militant ranks.
A contingent of troopers making rounds of the town to thwart any protest demonstration.
“On that fateful day, he left home at 12 noon for his diagnostic laboratory. At around 4.30 pm, I received a call from one of my relatives that security forces had neutralized some person in Kamla Forests and that it was my son Khalid. I didn’t believe him. I then called many persons in that neighbourhood, and they confirmed that they had seen Khalid in a nearby area at about 1 pm. Another call proved my worst fear – it was indeed Khalid, who was dead. His body was lying in Kamla forests,” a grieving Muzaffar Wani told TwoCircles.net.
“I would have had no regrets if my other son, Burhan, was killed because he has chosen his path to attain martyrdom. But what was the fault of that noble soul – Khalid – who was killed for no fault of his,” he rued.
All shops and business establishments are closed due to shutdown call given by all separatist factions.
A teary-eyed Shah Enayat, one of Khalid’s childhood friend and also his closest friends, recalled an incident amid wave of anger. “Khalid was frequently summoned to police stations and army camps to know about Burhan’s whereabouts. They were harassing, abusing and mentally tormenting him. Once, when he came back to his room after visiting the police station after a summon, he was in tears. He ripped apart his shirt and cried loudly ‘what is my fault if my brother is a militant?’” Enayat, who is pursuing B Tech from an Engineering college in Haryana, said.
After the ‘encounter’, the army had claimed Khalid was working as an over ground worker (OGW) for the Hizb-ul Mujahideen and that he was “killed in an encounter in Kamla Forest in Buchoo area of Tral on Monday evening. He had visited his militant brother with some food along with three other friends for recruitment purpose who were subsequently arrested from the encounter site.”
But Khalid’s family and other locals contested army’s claim that he was working as OGW. The family and locals maintained that Khalid was tortured to death. “There were visible marks of torture on his body. There was no bullet in his body. His face was mutilated, skull was cracked, nose was crushed and his eyes were severely damaged. There was not even a single teeth left in his mouth, which clearly indicates he was beaten to death,” his father claimed and added, “Moreover, he wore casual clothes when he left home, but we received his body in military fatigues.”
An alert CRPF personnel guarding the street in Tral
“Initially they tagged him as a militant, now as an over ground worker. If he was an OGW then give us the charge sheet mentioning his illegal and suspicious activities,” he demanded and claimed his son was innocent and had nothing to do with militancy.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police, SJM Geelani had said that they were waiting for the post mortem report of the slain youth to ascertain whether he was killed due to bullet injuries or not.
Condemning Khalid’s killing in the strongest words, Mushtaq Ahmed, Tral MLA from Peoples Democratic Party, termed it as a brute and barbaric murder and impressed the need for justice for the bereaved family. “I request the government to conduct a judicial enquiry in this incident. The innocent youth was ruthlessly murdered by security forces. We will never tolerate human rights violation in the state,” Ahmed told TCN.
Related:
Locals allege staged encounter of civilian killed in Army firing in Tral area of Jammu & Kashmir