Only fair probe in Srinagar encounter will satisfy families, says Omar

Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah on Monday said that only fair and transparent probe, already promised by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, will satisfy the families, who insist that the youth killed in Srinagar encounter were innocent.

Meanwhile, the family members and relatives of three alleged militants killed in Srinagar encounter on Monday staged a protest in the summer capital, demanding an impartial probe and bodies of the trio.

“It is very important that the probe in to this encounter be concluded at the earliest. Only a fair & transparent probe, already promised by @manojsinha_, will satisfy the families who have lost their loved ones who they insist were innocent,” Mr Abdullah wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.

Mr Abdullah said that the LG has promised a fair and speedy probe in to this encounter when Lok Sabha Member Masoodi Hasnain spoke to him about it recently. “In the interim we hope the LG will order the handing over of the bodies to the families,” he added.

All political parties have also sought a time-bound and impartial probe into the incident after the families of the slain claimed that they were innocent and were killed in a staged encounter.

However, refuting the allegations, a police spokesperson said generally parents don’t have idea about the activities of their wards. “Several OGWs after committing terror crimes like grenade throwing & pistol shooting etc stay normally with their family. Although the three killed militants in Srinagar encounter were not mentioned in our list of militants, yet two of them are associates of militants,” he said.

Meanwhile, a spontaneous strike was observed in the summer capital on Friday in support of demand for impartial and time-bound inquiry into Srinagar encounter. Three alleged militants -- identified as Aijaz Ahmad Ganie, Ather Mushtaq from Pulwama and Zubair Ahmad Lone from Shopian – were killed in an encounter with security forces in Srinagar outskirts on December 30.