Conflict

Audio surfaces claiming killing of ‘missing’ Panch, police says verifying details

Anantnag: An unverified clip has surfaced where purported militants claim that they have ‘killed the Panch’ from Khonmoh who has been missing since August 19.

In the audio clip purportedly released by militants, the makers claim to have killed the Panch adding that they “will not return the body due to the pandemic” and that “no resignations will be accepted from anyone now”.

The Panch, Nissar Ahmad Bhat of Khonmoh, is missing after he reportedly went to Shopian on August 19.

Aftah Aalim, the younger brother of Nisar told Free Press Kashmir that the family has filed a report with police, stating that he left for Shopian on August 19 and is missing since then.

“We do not know if he was with the BJP or not, but we had advised him against joining politics. He has a wife and three sisters,” Aftab Aalim said.

“His phone was swtiched off so we got worried for him. We know he was a Panch so we directly went to the Police. The Police told us that they had traced his number and his location was shown as Shopian,” Aftab added.

Nisar had reportedly been booked under PSA in 1995 and there are as many as 12 FIR registered against him.

The family however says he was in service then. “He was in the police then and he was shot at in Batmaloo. So, after that, he left the service,” Nisar’s brother says, adding that he has now been a Panch since two years.

Police confirmed that a missing reported has been filed but has so far declined to comment on the audio clip, saying that they are verifying the details.

Earlier, a territorial army trooper, who was kidnapped from Kulgam on August 2 was also claimed to have been killed by militants in a similar unconfirmed audio message.

 

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