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| First custodial killing of Omar Govt happens in Geelani's Sopore | | Murder case filed, Dy SP attached, 3 cops placed under suspension | | Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
srinagar, July 31: Thirty-one-month-old Omar Abdullah government's first custodial killing has occurred in the separatist hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani's hometown of Sopore in north Kashmir. Twenty-seven-year-old shopkeeper's death has led to street demonstrations in the apple-rich town, besides "house arrest" of a number of separatist and mainstream political leaders in Srinagar even as the government has registered a murder case against Police, a Dy SP has been attached and three more personnel have been placed under suspension.
Informed sources told Early Times that a unit of Special Operations Group (SOG) had picked up a young grocer, Nazim Rashid Shala alias Anjum---lonely son of a retired Police Inspector Abdul Rashid Shala---from his shop at Krankshivan Colony of Sopore in the afternoon on Saturday. Wanted in connection with the investigation into the killing of one Mohammad Ashraf Dar, who was gunned down in Sopore on July 27th evening, Nazim was detained and subjected to custodial interrogation. In the wee hours today, he breathed his last in custody of SOG Sopore.
Apprehending anti-Police and anti-Government demonstrations, included violent clashes at several places, authorities in the morning sounded an alert throughout the Valley. After the pause of calm for nearly eight months, Police and CRPF personnel carrying batons, shields and tearsmoke canisters, were spotted in movement at several places in this capital city and other major towns in the Valley.
Even as the wave of unrest remained restricted to just a part of Sopore town and it did not engulf the Valley, authorities forced home confinement of a number of separatist leaders, including heads of both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Sources said that Police also locked the main entrance of the PDP President Mehbooba Mufti's official premises at Gupkar Road and thus prevented her from proceeding to Sopore.
Reports from Sopore said that a major part of the apple-town observed shutdown to register a protest against the custodial killing of a youth. Hundreds of people in Krankshivan Colony and its adjoining peripheries staged anti-Government, anti-Police, anti-India and pro-Azadi demonstrations while shouting slogans and demanding immediate arrest and termination of the services of the Police personnel responsible for the youth's custodial killing. Police resorted to heavy baton charge and tearsmoke to disperse the angry crowds. This led to stone pelting and clashes between demonstrators and Police.
Reports said that at least six demonstrators and Police and paramilitary personnel sustained minor injuries in the clashes. According to reports, trouble did not spread to other areas mainly because of heavy deployment of Police and CRPF, though severe restrictions on movement were not enforced. Reports said that the dead body was handed over to the family in the evening and the funeral was conducted without any significant trouble in the evening.
Authoritative sources said that on the instructions from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and MoS Home, Nasir Aslam Wani, Police Station of Sopore registered a murder case against SOG personnel under section 302 of Ranbir Penal Code. Dy SP of SOG Sopore, Ashiq Hussain, was attached and three more personnel were placed under suspension. They included incharge of the component, incharge of guard and a sentry. Under orders from the government, Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, would personally conduct an investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of Nazim Rashid Shala in SOG custody.
Block Medical Officer of Sopore conducted the post-mortem alongwith three other doctors. He was expected to submit his detailed report to the District Magistrate on Monday. Nazim Rashid is widely believed to have been tortured to death and registration of murder case has come as confirmation, though some officials were still suspecting it as a death caused due to cardiac arrest of the youth under severe physical and mental stress.
Even before availability of the post-mortem report, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on Twitter: "The death of Anjum Rashid in police custody is a gross human rights violation and inexcusable. Things like this cannot be allowed to happen". He added: "I expect the police to do nothing less than make an example of those responsible so that nothing like this ever happens again. Swift & exemplary action. No delays, no cover ups, no excuses. That's all I can promise & ensure. It's not enough, of that too I'm aware".
Scores of his nearly 40,000 followers on Twitter, however, viewed the government action as an eyewash and stressed on immediate demonstrable action in the matter. Some of them taunted Omar with inability to deliver. |
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