Family says he was brought down from car then killed, police denies allegations
Suhail Khan
SRINAGAR, July 1: At 6 on Wednesday morning, Bashir Ahmad Khan, 60, left his home at Mustafa Colony HMT Srinagar. He carried his grandson along and had some work at Sopore. He had told his family they would return home by the evening. Hours after, the family instead received his dead body.
Khan was killed on Wednesday morning in Sopore when an encounter broke out between militants and forces.
The man suffered two bullet injuries and died on the spot. His 3-year-old grandson was then seen crying over his grandfather’s body, drenched with blood.
In a video that has gone viral, his (Khan’s) son has alleged that he was shot dead by CRPF. “He (Khan) left his home at 6 am on Wednesday. He had some work there. When an encounter took place, he was brought down from the vehicle then killed by the CRPF, “he alleged.
A police official however denied the allegations and claimed he was killed in a cross firing.
SSP Sopore Javid Iqbal said the deceased was from HMT Srinagar. “Police also rescued his 3-year-old grandson,” he told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
CRPF spokesperson in a statement to KINS said, “Today at around 07:30 hrs Golf Coy of 179 Bn CRPF reached Model Town Chowk Sopore for Naka/patrolling duties. As the troops were de-bussing from the vehicles to occupy their respective spots of deployment, militants hiding in the attic of a nearby mosque started firing indiscriminately on the troops, resulting in injuries to four CRPF personnel. HC Deep chand succumbed to his injuries and attained martyrdom, while one one civilian died on spot in the terrorist act.”
Heart-rending images have emerged showing how the 3-year-old boy attempted to wake up his grandfather. Another image shows a police person carrying the baby on his lap and taking him away from the encounter site.
Apart from a civilian, a CRPF man was also killed in the encounter while three CRPF personnel were injured.(KINS)
