Srinagar: The November 15 Hyderpora encounter was a "botched up" operation and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe it a "charade to absolve those culpable of killing innocent civilians", PDP president and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Tuesday slamming the authorities for giving a clean chit to security forces.
"SIT’s clear chit to armed forces in Hyderpora encounter isn’t surprising. It was purely a charade to cover up a botched up operation & absolve those culpable for killing innocent civilians. How can one expect justice when they themselves are judge, jury & executioner?" Mehbooba said in a tweet on Tuesday evening.
The police probe team led by DIG Sujit K Singh had submitted its report in the Hyderpora encounter case on Tuesday. The report gave a clean chit to security forces who were accused of wrongdoing in the alleged gunfight.
Announcing the same, the Jammu and Kashmir police claimed that the building owner Muhammad Altaf Bhat was "used as a human shield" by the foreign militant and was killed in "crossfire" during the gunfight. The building where the controversial gun battle took place was, according to police, used as a hideout by the foreign militant who too was killed during the 'encounter'.
The foreign militant identified as Saqlain alias Bilal Bhai "worked closely with Amir Magray", one of the killed youth in the gunfight, police said.