JAMMU: Prominent Muslims of Jammu have refuted the claims of the police of killing two Pakistani trained militants on May 7 and demanded a judicial enquiry by a sitting high court judge into the alleged custodial deaths of two local laborers.

Talking to newsmen here on May 10, Majid Khan, president of the Muslim Federation Jammu, Sadiq Bhatt, are tired sessions judge and Sadiq Malik, a lawyer, alleged that two Muslim youth, who were working as laborers, were killed by the police in a fake encounter.

The police had claimed that two brothers, Abdul Ghani and Bashir Ahmed, both Pakistani trained militants, who were responsible for two simultaneous bomb blasts in Jammu on May 3, were killed in a in encounter, According to police the youth were taken near railway station for recovery of arms and one of them took out a mauser from the hidden cache of arms and fired on the police party in a bid to escape.

Both of them died at around 4:30 a.m. on May 7, Three other militant is belonging to Hizbul Muiahideen group were arrested which led to the arrest of these two brothers, police claimed. The father of the killed youth said they were working as laborers, and were picked up at around 3:30 a.m. on the fateful day and were taken by a group of policemen in handcuffs. Later, he was told that both of his sons were killed in an encounter near the railway Station.

The Muslim leaders charge that the police version was fabricated.

They argued that by no stretch of imagination it could be deduced that the deceased who were handcuffed could have been set free during the claimed recovery. of arms. Secondly, the place where the recovery of arms and claimed encounter had taken place is not more than 100 yards from the CRPF camp on one side and another picket of the CRPF on the other, Moreover, the place is not a secluded once to attract dumping of arms. It was further alleged that both the youth were killed from point blank range which also goes against the police theory of escape bid. While escaping both should have been shot from behind but were shot from front.

Lastly, no worthwhile ammunition was recovered from the place of encounter and their house.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 14, 1993