SRINAGAR, July 26: The army has ruled out any inquiry into the killing of a 20-year-old Hilal Ahmed Dar of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district and said that the recovery of weapons alongside his body indicated that he was a militant.
On wednesday thousands of people marched in a procession with Dar’s body borne aloft and chanted pro-Islamic slogans saying the “innocent” youth had left for late-night Ramdhan prayers and was killed in “cold blood” by soldiers.
But General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 15 Corps, Lt. General Om Prakash said he stood by claims of his men that they killed Dar when he walked into an ambush Tuesday night and fired “when challenged”.
“For us there is nothing to prove … It is clear. Army is a disciplined force and carries out operations with honesty and integrity,” Lt Gen. Prakash told reporters at a wreath-laying ceremony during Kargil-war celebrations in Srinagar.
He said army operations were intelligence based to avoid collateral damage and there were inputs about movement of militants for the past three days through the area after which an operation was launched.
Violent protests erupted yesterday in the Bandipora district after a bullet-ridden body of Hilal Ahmed Dar was found by police at Ashtengoo Naar area. However, many versions have been pouring in about the incident.
Locals and relatives allege Dar’s body had torture marks on them and that he had been killed in custody after he had left home for prayers. They say the youth sported long locks of hair and a beard and could have been easily “mistaken for a militant”.
Meanwhile the authorities have ordered a magesterial probe to check the veracity of all claims about the incident.
