J&K: Parties Call for Probe in the Killing of Youth During Shootout

Srinagar: Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir are calling for an investigation into the killing of a youth Imran Bashir Ganie, who the J&K police said, was killed in alleged firing from another militant Wednesday morning.

President of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti accused the authorities of being complicit while demanding an investigation into Ganie's killing.

"Using dubious nomenclature – hybrid militant and chance encounter to justify civilian killings has become the norm in Kashmir. Ganie arrested by the police and then killed in their custody allegedly by another militant defies logic and deserves a thorough investigation," the former chief minister wrote on Twitter.

Ganie was arrested along with an associate on Tuesday by J&K police who claimed that he confessed to carrying out a grenade attack hours before in Hermain village of Shopian. In the attack, two non-local labourers identified as Ram Sagar and Monish Kumar, both residents of Uttar Pradesh, were killed.

The police also termed Ganie, a resident of Hermain village, as a "hybrid terrorist" or unlisted militant who they alleged was involved in throwing the grenade. Later, however, they claimed he was killed in a firing incident.

"Based on disclosure of arrested hybrid terrorist and in continuous raids by Police and security forces, another contact has been established between terrorists and Security Forces at Nowgam, Shopian, in which hybrid terrorist, namely Imran Bashir Ganaie, killed by the firing of another terrorist," the Kashmir Zone Police said in a statement.

Member of Parliament from Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Hasnain Masoodi also demanded an "independent and impartial probe" into the killing of Ganai. "Civilian killings call for outright condemnation and cannot be condoned on any ground whatsoever," a statement from the party quoted the leader as saying.

State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (M) Ghulam Nabi Malik, in a statement, also condemned what he termed as the alleged custodial killing of Ganie while demanding a credible probe into the incident.

"It is widely perceived that the said person had not been involved in any unlawful activity. Recently in the Shopian area, one Kashmiri Pandit and two non-local labourers have been brutally killed, which has to be condemned by the whole society irrespective of affiliations, and culprits have to be brought to justice," Malik said.

As many as 40 civilians, including political workers, non-local workers, and police officers, have been killed this year in militancy-related incidents heightening tension in the region. The police have killed over 150 militants this year in encounters across the valley.