Srinagar, February 08 (KNO) : The report submitted by the police before the State Human Rights Commission regarding the abduction and murder of a civilian of Kulgam district stating that Sheeraz Ahmed Bhat was abducted, tortured and fired upon by militants, resulting in his death. According to a statement issued to KNO, the police in its report also revealed that Jaish-e-Muhammad militants with the help of some OGWs had abducted Sheeraz whose body was later found on December 11, 2018 at Ahwatoo, Kulgam.
“His body was visible torture marks and bullet wounds," the police report that has come in response to the petition filed by chairman international forum for Justice and Human Rights Muhammad Ahsan Untoo in case SHRC/339/KLGM/2018 dated 19/11/2018. Earlier, the SHRC had called a report from Deputy Commissioner Kulgam and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kulgam with regard to abduction of civilian Sheeraz Ahmed Bhat by unknown persons on 27 October, 2018. Sheeraz was abducted by masked men leaving his family including his wife and three children in a total despair.
The petitioner had pleaded before the commission that an inquiry must be conducted to know the whereabouts of Sheeraz. The petitioner had stated that on 27 October, Sheeraz had arranged a vehicle of a cousin to drop his sister-in-law and mother-in-law to their home. Sheeraz’s cousin was in the driving seat and others were getting into the car when a Santro car came and stopped right beside them. According to his sister-in-law, the petitioner said that some masked gunmen disembarked from the Santro car and forced Sheeraz into the car and drove away.
The petition stated that the family of Sheeraz had already been rendered homeless after their house was damaged to rubble in an encounter on 21 October, when three Jaish militants were killed and then seven civilians died in a mysterious blast in the rubble of the house. Reacting to the police report, the petitioner said that how can police claim that Sheeraz was killed by militants. "Has police or militant bullets names written on them. The case needs to be probed by the SHRC’s investigation wing and meanwhile ex-gratia be provided to the family members of slain Sheeraz,” he demanded.(KNO)