SRINAGAR: Four days after killing of 22-year-old Lt Ummer Fayaz by militants in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, Army on Saturday renamed one of their schools in Valley after the young officer and presented a cheque of Rs 75 lakh to his family.
Army’s Victor Force Commander Maj Gen B S Raju alongwith Deputy Commissioner and SP Kulgam and other top police, civil and army officials today visited Lt Ummer Fayaz’s house at Sursuna village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district to attend his 4th day mourning.
Lt Fayaz was abducted from his relative’s residence at Batapora in Shopian district on Tuesday evening and his bullet ridden body was recovered from an orchard in Hermain village of Shopian on Wednesday morning.
He had gone to his relative’s residence to attend the marriage of his cousin.
Maj Gen Raju met the family members and expressed his condolences and sympathies with the bereaved family. He assured them of assistance from the army.
He presented a cheque of Rs 75 lakhs on behalf of the Army to the family.
He further told the young officer’s family that it has been decided to rename the Army Goodwill School Behibagh as ‘Shaheed Lt Ummer Fayaz Goodwill School’.
The Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam also presented a cheque of exgratia amount from J&K government to Lt Fayaz’s family and announced that a government job would be provided to the family members of slain officers.
The cheques from Central AWWA Ex – Gratia Grant and National Defence Fund were also presented to the family by an officer of 2 Rajputana Rifles, the unit in which Lt Ummer Fayaz was commissioned, a defence spokesman said.
Later, Maj Gen Raju told media that Lt Fayaz was an intelligence and efficient boy.
“His fight started four years back when he decided to join NDA after passing 12th class examination,” he said adding, “I would like to give credit to his father and mother for deciding to enroll him in NDA”.
He said although Lt Fayaz had only four month’s services in army but he was a hero for him.
“His death will not go in waste. The perpetrators of this dastardly act would be brought to justice in our own way,” Raju said.
He said army will launch an operation against the militants involved in killing of the young officer.
“We want to ensure that our operation does not affect the civil population. It will be against the militants,” he said.
Maj Gen Raju urged the elders to sensitise the misguided youth to shun the path of violence and join the mainstream and contribute towards nation building.
Police has blamed Hizbul Mujahideen militants for abducting and killing the young army officer.
Police yesterday released posters of three Hizb militants involved in killing of Lt Fayaz and announced reward for those giving information about the trio who have been identified as Ishfaq Ahmad Thoker; Gayas-ul-Islam Thoker and Abbas Ahmad Bhat, all locals.
Meanwhile, United Jehad Council (UJC), a Muzaffarabad-based conglomerate of militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir, has condemned killing of Lt Umar Faiyaz and denied involvement of militants in his killing.