Hyderpora Encounter: J&K Police Says Civilians Killed In Crossfire, SIT Rules Out Foul Play By Security Forces

SIT of Jammu and Kashmir Police, probing the Hyderpora encounter, said while one civilian was killed by a foreign terrorist, the owner of the building and a local militant died in "crossfire".

New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday distanced themselves from any foul play in the Hyderpora encounter case where three civilians were killed on November 15. The police said civilians were killed in crossfire after the foreign militant used them as a human shield.

Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Jammu and Kashmir Police, probing the Hyderpora encounter, on Tuesday said while one civilian was killed by the foreign terrorist, the owner of the building and a local militant died in "crossfire".

J&K Police on Tuesday said that a civilian, Mohd Altaf Bhat was killed after being taken as a “human shield” during the crossfire. Whereas the militant had killed the other civilian, Dr Mudasir Gul, before the militant took Bhat as a human shield, the Police claimed.

During a press conference held on Tuesday, the In-charge of the Special Investigation Team DIG Sujit K Singh said: "Our investigation so far has revealed that Dr Mudasir Gul was killed by the foreign terrorist hiding inside the building as his body was recovered from the attic. The security forces did not go to the attic at all during searches or subsequent operation."   

The police, however, said that the third person, a youth from the Ramban district of the Jammu division, Amir Magray, was a militant. Although his father, Abdul Latief denied the claims made by the Police.

Giving details of the investigations, Singh said the probe has revealed that Amir Magray, the employee of Dr Gul, was closely associated with the foreign terrorist 'Bilal Bhai', who was killed in the operation while trying to flee.

"Mohammad Altaf Bhat (building owner) and Amir were killed in the crossfire with security forces as they were used as a human shield by the foreign terrorist. It is substantiated by the fact the Altaf fell (after being hit by bullets) outside the door, while Amir had managed to run a few more steps and the foreign terrorist's body was found 83 feet away," he said.

He said that two pistols and four magazines were seized from the initial site. He added that the bodies of a local terrorist and the building owner were recovered at the building’s entry. 

The SIT chief said the investigation was still going on and the team was open to reviewing its findings if any evidence, suggesting so, comes to light.

The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), however, said that the police’s version of the story was a “concocted cover-up story” and called for a judicial investigation.

PAGD spokesperson and Communist leader M Y Tarigami said, “It is only a repetition of an old story. There is a strong public perception that the civilians killed were made human shields by the security forces. It will not suffice the legitimate concerns of the people at large and family of slain victims.” 

(With PTI Inputs)