DC orders magisterial inquiry, assures action
By News Agency of Kashmir,
Doda : Thousands of people including women and children today staged protest demonstration against alleged custodial death of a villager out side district hospital, here, forcing district administration to order a magisterial inquiry into the killing.
However police said that the villager slipped from a hill-lock, while district administration has ordered official a magisterial inquiry and appointed ADC Doda as inquiry officer to ascertain the facts in the allegation leveled by the public.
Informed sources told News Agency of Kashmir that thousands of people including women and children staged protest demonstration out-side the district Hospital following the alleged death of Latif Ahmad son of Ghulam Mustafa of Dehorat Jatli, who was picked by a team of Special operation group(STF) from village Dehrot Jatli.
Family members of the deceased told NAK that Latif was innocent and had no links with any militant organization. “A group of STF members last night picked Altaf saying that he has to answer some quarries in the police station and will be freed in the morning” said one of the relative of the deceased, adding he was later killed in custody.
Sources said that police team today reached the village along with the youth, who accor4ding to police slipped from a hill lock and fell unconscious; he was immediately shifted to district hospital where the doctors declared him as brought dead.
Soon after hearing the news spread in the market, people numbering thousands assemble out side the hospital and raised anti police slogans and alleged that the youth was killed in custody.
The protestors were demanding a high level inquiry in the killing and punishment to the police personnel responsible for the death of the youth.
The villagers allege that Latif was interrogated and later pushed from a hill-lock in the morning to show that he slipped to death.
Chanting anti police and anti slogans government people protest out side the hospital and also blocked the road for hours together.
“He was innocent and was killed in custody and we demand suspension of the SP OPS along with whole team” a protester told NAK adding that Azad shaib is claiming of zero tolerance but his own district is being targeted by his police.
Mr Azad as a home minister of the state should immediately order termination of the services of the accused policemen who in khaki killed the innocent youth, said another villager.
Sources told NAK that the youth was picked by the STF team for militant links and interrogated him for the whole night. “He was killed in custody and later to dub him as a militant was taken to village as half dead” a relative of the deceased allege.
Police however, said that the villager was brought to the village after sustained interrogation for some recovery and he slipped from the hill lock.
District magistrate Doda, Khurshid Ahmad Bhat when contacted told News Agency of Kashmir a magisterial inquiry has been ordered and ADC Doda Farooq Ahmad Khan has been appointed as inquiry officer and asked to submit the report.
He said a team of Doctors were constituted which conducted postmortem of the deceased to ascertain the cause of death.
After the deputy commissioner assured of action to the mob, the body was later taken in procession to the native village for last rights.
The political and social leaders of the district have expressed their sympathy with the bereaved family and demanded stern action against those found involved for this ‘inhuman act’.