The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday announced compensation and jobs to the kin of three civilians who were found dead on Friday near the site of Thursday’s terrorist ambush in Poonch district even as family members of the deceased men and political parties in the Valley alleged that their deaths were “custodial murders inside an army camp of 48 RR.”
Meanwhile, the army’s search operations to neutralise the terrorists responsible for the ambush at Dhatyar Morh in Surankote, in which four soldiers were killed and three others were injured, continued on Saturday.
“The death of three civilians was reported yesterday in Baffliaz of Poonch District. The medico legal formalities were conducted and legal action in this matter has been initiated by the appropriate authority. Government has announced compensation for each of the deceased. Further Government has also announced compassionate appointments to the next of kin of each deceased,” said a statement issued on X by the department of information and public relations of the J&K administration.
The bodies of the three men were buried on Saturday afternoon at their native village Topa Peer in the presence of Jammu divisional commissioner Ramesh Kumar Jangid, Poonch deputy magistrate Choudhary Mohammad Yasin, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vinay Kumar and other officials.
The deceased were identified as Safeer Hussain, 44, son of Mir Hussain, Showket Ali, 22, son of Nazir Hussain and Shabir Hussain, 32, son of Wali Mohammad of Topa Peer village. On Saturday morning, around 8am, bodies of the three men were handed over to their families after post-mortem inside an army camp.
Mohammad Sadeeq, 45, panch of Topa Peer village, whose 22-year-old nephew Showket Ali was among the three dead, said that those killed were poor people and had no links with Thursday’s ambush or terrorism.
He said army had picked up nine men from the village around 9.30am on Friday when they were having morning tea in their houses. He claimed that the detained men were first taken to Mal post where they were tortured and then shifted to Bafliaz post.
“Dead bodies were handed over to us at 8am today (Saturday). We are going to bury them today, but we demand justice. We also ask the army to give us the evidence of their involvement in any terror activity,” he said.
He claimed that the deceased bore injury marks on their bodies.
“Acid and chilli powder were poured on them. They were given electric shocks in water filled tanks. Every third-degree torture was given to them. I have shared two videos of the torture with the deputy magistrate,” he said.
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