Day after Army said militant killed in Ganderbal, man’s family seeks probe, Mehbooba raises questions

A day after the Army said it had killed a militant in the forest area of central Kashmir, a family from Ganderbal claimed the deceased has no links with militancy. Demanded an investigation into the killing, the family said they will register a complaint with the police. The police, however, said they will verify the deceased’s records and pointed out that the deceased’s brother is in Pakistan, and a weapon had been recovered during the Army operation. The Army said the “family can claim anything” and “the truth will come out”.

PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti also reacted to the incident, saying, “You might have heard that there was an encounter in Arhama (Ganderbal) in which a young man was killed. There are allegations of a fake encounter. The Army first said that he was a foreign militant and then said, no, he is a local and was associated with militancy. He was an orphan and was running an NGO.”

Ajaz Ahmad Mughal, a resident of Choont Waliwar village of Ganderbal, said the deceased, Rashid Ahmad Mughal, was his brother and claimed he had no militant links. “He left home on Tuesday morning but didn’t return in the evening,” Ajaz told The Indian Express. “Yesterday (on Wednesday), I was at work when SHO (Station House Officer) sahib came. He asked me to come along. There, they asked me to identify a body. I was shocked to see that it was my brother.”

Ajaz claimed the 28-year-old Rashid had completed his M.Com and worked as a part-time computer operator. “He would help people fill forms online for domicile and other certificates and prepare (bank) loan documents for them,” Ajaz said.

“You can ask anybody in our village about him,” he said. “Even the agencies, the police know that he was not a militant.”

Rashid was the youngest of the three siblings, and their parents are no more.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ganderbal, Khalil Ahmad Poswal, told The Indian Express that they are verifying whether Rashid had a past militant record. “His brother is in Pakistan,” SSP Poswal said. “It was an Army operation, and an AK-56 rifle has been recovered.”

The Defence spokesperson, when contacted, said, “The family can claim anything. It is a sensitive issue; the truth will come out.”

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. Expertise and Experience Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development. Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor. Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans: Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance. Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population. Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley. Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More

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