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‘Shocked to hear about 3 missing labourers reportedly killed in a staged encounter at Shopian’
‘Armed forces have a free hand to operate with impunity’
Srinagar: Ex Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, who has been in detention since August 2019 has reacted to the news of three missing labourers from Rajouri, saying that she is shocked to hear that they have been killed in a staged encounter.
Shocked to hear about reports of 3 missing labourers reportedly killed in a staged encounter at Shopian. Armed forces have a free hand to operate with impunity. Explains why bodies are allowed to decompose at unknown locations. Probes into recent encounters must be ordered https://t.co/7uoNlVIuuN
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 10, 2020
The twitter handle is being operated by Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti.
“Armed forces have a free hand to operate with impunity. Explains why bodies are allowed to decompose at unknown locations. Probes into recent encounters must be ordered,” she added.
21 days after three labourers from Rajouri went missing from Kashmir’s Shopian district, the families of the missing labourers on Sunday registered an FIR at Peeri Police Post, in Rajouri district.
Hailing from Rajouri’s Peeri Tehsil, Imtiaz Ahmed son of Sabir Hussain, Ibrar Ahmed, son of Bagha Khan and Ibrar Ahmed son of Mohammad Yousuf, left their homes on July 15 to find work in Kashmir.
Amidst the lockdown, the trio managed to reach Shopian district where they rented a room, and purchased some essentials, as per the family.
Speaking to Free Press Kashmir, a relative of one of the missing persons said, “the last time we spoke to them was on July 17, after that we were not able to establish any contact with them.”
Social activist from Rajouri, Guftar Ahmed Chowdhary told Free Press Kashmir, “the family members were apprehensive that they might have been put in quarantine given the inter-district travel and might contact soon. Days turned into weeks, and when they lost patience, they reached out to me, after which we registered the FIR.”
A senior Kashmiri journalist, Ahmed Ali Fayaz took to twitter and wrote that “all three ‘suspected militants’ killed in Amshipora Shopian ‘encounter’ on 18 July 2020, have been repeatedly identified as the missing labourers of Rajouri on basis of photographs by the families.”
Fayaz wrote that if this was the truth, then it would be the first such case (of fake encounter) after killing of 3 civilians in Machil in 2010.
All three “suspected militants” killed in Amshipora Shopian ‘encounter’ on 18 July 2020, have been repeatedly identified as the missing labourers of Rajouri on basis of photographs by the families. If true, first such case after killing of 3 Nadihal civilians in Kupwara in 2010.
— Ahmed Ali Fayyaz (@ahmedalifayyaz) August 10, 2020
SSP Shopian Amrit Paul Singh said, “we are investigating the case.”
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