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.
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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? https://t.co/TycgIFk7Em
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 28, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">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? https://t.co/TycgIFk7Em
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 28, 2021SIT’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? https://t.co/TycgIFk7Em
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 28, 2021
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.
Apart from Mehbooba, members of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) too questioned the purpose of holding a press conference by police.
PAGD Spokesperson, Yusuf Tarigami said the press meet by the J&K police was "an eyewash" and it did not give a 'clear picture' besides 'the story was concocted'.
The administration, he said, should start a judicial probe and come up with its findings in a stipulated time.
On November 15, four persons were killed by the security forces, including a Pakistani militant, in Hyderpora locality of Srinagar. However, the relatives of those killed in the encounter claimed they were 'innocent' and became victim of some 'conspiracy'.
Read: Hyderpora encounter probe: Slain youths' kin hopeful that the truth will be out
