BARAMULLA: Family of Altaf Ahmed Ganai, who has been arrested by the police for killing a Sarpanch in north Kashmir’s Palhallan area, say he has been falsely implicated and that he is “too young to be a killer”.
Police on Friday said they had arrested Altaf Ahmad Ganai of Raipora, Palhallan and claimed he had shot dead a Sarpanch at Palhallan three months ago.
The family denied the charges.
“In September this year, police arrested Nasir Molvi from Palhallan area and claimed that he is involved in the killing of Sarpanch and now they have devised one more story. We fail to understand the motive behind these repeated claims by security forces,” one of Altaf’s relatives told a local newspaper, Greater Kashmir.
Pleading his innocence, the family said that their son is a 14-year-old and “couldn’t kill anyone”.
Sarpanch Ghulam Mohammad Yatoo of Rajpora was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in September this year.
Police officials say Altaf has been arrested after a detailed investigation into the incident. “His involvement in the killing of Sarpanch in October this year at Palhallan has been established and he has admitted his hand in the killing,” said a police official.
“I was called by the STF authorities of Pattan camp on December 8. After some time, they insisted me to get Altaf for some enquiry purposes and assured me that he will be released soon.
However, he was not released and instead wrongly implicated in the Sarpanch’s killing case,” said Ganaie.
“He left his studies just one year back and was employed in a nearby mobile shop in Raipora village. He was never involved in any subversive activity,” he added.
Ghulam Mohiuddin, a relative of Altaf told the newspaper: “That day we were together, miles away from the place of occurrence of the incident. How can a person be present simultaneously at two places.”
