SRINAGAR: The bodies of Srinagar residents Mohammad Altaf Bhat and Dr Mudasir Gul, who were among four persons killed in Hyderpora encounter on Monday and whose bodies were exhumed on Thursday evening, were laid to rest in their native graveyards around midnight.
The family members, close relatives and neighbours of Altaf and Dr Mudasir participated in their funeral rights. The body of Altaf was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard at Barzulla area of uptown Srinagar at around 1 am and body of Dr Mudasir was buried at graveyard in Pirbagh area.
The bodies of Altaf and Dr Mudasir reached Srinagar around midnight. The bodies were exhumed by authorities on Thursday evening in presence of police and civil officials from a graveyard in Handwara in north Kashmir.
Police had on Tuesday evening buried bodies of all the four killed in the Hyderpora encounter at a graveyard in Handwara in north Kashmir, about 100 kms from Srinagar.
According to police, the four including Pakistani militant Haider Bhai, his associate Amir Magray (from Ramban), Dr Mudasir businessman) and building owner Altaf Bhat were killed in the Hyderpora encounter.
Police had claimed that Haider and Amir were militants and Dr Mudasir was OWG. However, families of Magray, Mudasir and Altaf had contested police claim and alleged that the encounter was a staged encounter and their wards were innocent and not connected with militancy.
The families of Mudasir and Altaf staged a day-long sit-in protest at Press Enclave in Srinagar on Wednesday to demand the return of bodies for burial. The families were evicted by police from the area on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, on the call of separatist Hurriyat Conference, the shops and business establishments in city centre Lal Chowk and other parts are closed. There is less vehicular movement on the roads. Hurriyat Conference led by detained Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had called for shutdown today to demand bodies of those killed in the Hyderpora encounter and show solidarity with the victim families.
"The tragedy that has struck families of innocent civilians killed in the Hyderpora encounter is so tormenting that its pain has stunned the people of Kashmir," said a spokesman of Hurriyat.