SRINAGAR: A day after the Army claimed to have killed a terrorist in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, the family of the slain youth has contested the official version saying he was an innocent civilian and did not have any connection with militant groups.
The family also stated that the authorities refused to hand over the body of the deceased to perform the last rites.
On Tuesday, the army in a post on X said that it killed a "terrorist" in a gunfight during a search operation in Ganderbal district's Ahrama village.
The slain man was identified as 28-year-old Rashid Ahmad Mughal, hailing from Chount Waliwar in Ganderbal. Notably, his elder brother was killed by militants in 2000.
Rashid's family stressed that he had no connection with any militant groups and demanded a case be registered against those responsible for his killing.
Rashid's brother Aijaz Ahmad Mughal told TNIE that he was earlier informed by the police that the deceased had met with an accident when he was called to identify the body.
"He had left home on March 31 morning but did not return by evening. When I called him, his phone was switched off. While I was working in Nallah Sindh yesterday, a police jawan visited there and informed me that my brother had met with an accident," Aijaz said.
He was then taken to the Police Control Room in Srinagar, where he was asked to identify the body.
"There were bullet marks all over his body," Aijaz said, adding that the aurthorities refused to hand over the body to the family to perform final rites, despite pleading repeatedly.
The body was subsequently buried in a graveyard in Handwara in north Kashmir.
Rejecting the army's claim that his brother was a terrorist, Aijaz said, "Rashid was well-educated, having completed an MCom and was helping locals with documentation such as domicile certificates."
"If he had any links with militancy, why wasn’t he arrested at home? There is an Army camp near our residence," he questioned challenging the army to prove their claim.
Aijaz claimed that the police refused to register an FIR in the case and said that if no legal action is initiated against the killing, the netire village would stage a sit-in protest outside the police station.
He also demanded that the body of his brother should be returned to the family to perform the last rites.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also called for an investigation into the incident.
"I believe the claim of the family should not be dismissed out of hand. At the very least, this encounter needs a transparent and time-bound probe with the facts made public," the CM said in a post on X.
"Any attempt to obfuscate or delay the announcement of a probe will only damage credibility and that is not in anyone’s interest,” he added.
Former chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also raised questions regarding the killing.
"Two days back there was an encounter in Arhama in which a 29-year-old local youth, Rashid Mughal, was killed. There are allegations that it was a fake encounter. The Army first said he was a foreign militant, then they said he was a local linked to militancy," Mehbooba said.