Seven injured as police stop Kashmir protest over alleged fake encounter
At least seven people were injured on Saturday when police halted a protest march in the Rafiabad area of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir. Thousands had gathered to demand action against those responsible for the deaths of three local men in an alleged fake encounter in neighbouring Kupwara district.
The protesters, mostly from Nadihal village and surrounding areas, refused to bury the bodies and began marching towards the district headquarters. Police stopped them near Chakla, leading to clashes. Officers used rubber bullets, tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd. The protesters shouted slogans against the Army and its local agents.
After the police cleared the area, the bodies — which had been exhumed on Friday — were buried amid anti-India and pro-freedom slogans.
The three deceased — Mohammad Shafi, Shehzad Ahmad and Riyaz Ahmad — were killed in the Machil sector on April 30. The Army described them as militants. However, local residents and family members have alleged that the three were picked up by civilians and handed over to the Army, who then killed them in a staged gunfight.
Police have arrested three suspects: Bashir Ahmad, a former special police officer, and his accomplices Ashraf Gazi and Fayaz Ahmad, who was associated with the Territorial Army. They are accused of facilitating the arrest and killing of the three youths. Locals have also demanded the arrest of Bashir's brother, Abdul Qayoom, alleging his involvement in the disappearance of another youth and the killing of a civilian three years ago.
The police have registered a murder case in connection with the deaths. Kashmir zone Inspector-General Farooq Ahmad confirmed that no Army personnel have been booked so far, saying, 'We are on the job.' However, reliable sources indicated that two senior officers of the 14 Rajput unit, which was involved in the incident, were being recalled for investigation. The unit had left the Kashmir Valley shortly after the encounter as part of its routine movement after completing its tenure.
Saturday also saw normal life in Kashmir paralysed in response to a shutdown call by the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, protesting against Congress president Sonia Gandhi's visit to Jammu.
