Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Police chief, Dilbag Singh on Thursday said that those killed in Hyderpora were not innocents and that there is strong evidence available against them.
He also said that Jammu and Kashmir police is a professional force and they don’t need lessons from anyone.
Director General of Police (DGP) while addressing a presser said that a special investigation team has been constituted by Kashmir Zone Police to investigate it.
“We must give them some time to make specific comments. However, I would like to say with full authority that the police is doing its work professionally and our officers know how to conduct operations. We don’t want lessons on conducting operations from the people who are unaware of how the operations are being carried out,” DGP said while replying to a query.
Claiming that the civilians, who were killed in Hyderpora were ‘not innocents’, DGP said, “There is very strong evidence available in this case and will be shared with all the concerned very soon. The ‘so-called innocent civilians’ are taking the foreign militant out for a reece on a motorbike, picking up targets and you call them innocent.”
He further said that their innocence would be proven once the investigation makes further progress.
“The foreign militant (Pakistani national) who was moving around in the City with a weapon was responsible for shooting a policeman and that policeman recognized him, as he fired at him from very close range. Our investigation is in progress, which is suggesting very much that the militant (Pakistani) has a militant network around him, which was supporting him. We will see who is involved to what extent and will be shared at the right time,” DGP said.
Addressing a press conference after the seizure of a large consignment of drugs from Jammu’s Jajjar Kotli along the Jammu-Srinagar highway, Singh reacted to the comments regarding apprehensions on operations carried out for the last two weeks.
The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti had earlier questioned the intentions behind these ‘encounters.’
Reacting to her comments, the DGP said that “this is politics and Mehbooba should stop it.”
Singh also added that some people from Civil Society and social media often make claims which remain far from reality.
“This is high time people accept reality without mixing it with their imagination,” he said.
“Yesterday three militants were killed in the Rambagh encounter. Srinagar resident Meehran was chief among them and all three are responsible for so many innocent civilian killings including School teachers Supinder Kaur and Deepak Chan Mehra, police SI Arshad and many grenade firing incidents,” he said, adding that “those who try to show them as innocents are enemies of humanity.”
These comments come in relation to the Rambagh shoot-out which have created a storm in the political circles of the Valley.
On recent civilian killings, the DGP said that police are pursuing each and every case.
“More than 20 militants involved in civilian killings have been killed so far. Only Basit of Kulgam is absconding right now and armed forces are after him, he will be soon taken to task,” the DGP said.
On the term ‘Hybrid militant’, the DGP said that these militants look like normal school-going boys or officer goers but can pick up a gun anytime to kill anyone.
Meanwhile, the families of the trio Mohammad Altaf Bhat, Muddasir Gul and Amir Ahmed deny all the police allegations and maintain that they were “civilians and killed in a staged encounter”.
The bodies of Altaf and Gul were first buried by police at Handwara graveyard and after massive outcry followed by protests by the families of the slain duo, their bodies were exhumed and later handed over to the families for the last rites late on Thursday evening.
The probe ordered by the LG is being conducted by the ADC Srinagar, who has already issued a notice inviting witnesses for recording their statements.
The LG has promised the probe will be conducted in a time-bound manner.
Pertinently, the family of the third slain identified as Amir Ahmed of Banihal has also demanded the return of the body of their son, who was working as an office boy at slain Gul’s office.
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