Srinagar: The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday ordered that the magistrate probe report on the controversial Hyderpora gunfight be sent to Judicial Magistrate for review. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) also made public some important documents and videos regarding the gunfight.
Special Investigation Team's (SIT) in-charge DIG (Central) Sujit Kumar Singh, while giving a detailed account of the investigation into the case, claimed that "it seems that Dr Gul was killed by foreign militant Bilal Bhai alias Maaz alias Saqlain. Bhat was used as a human shield and was killed along with local militant Amir Magray during crossfire. Bilal was later killed by security forces while he was trying to flee from the gunfight spot."
"According to the post-mortem report, no torture wounds were found on the body. However, there were a few other injury marks besides bullet wounds and that could have been due to falling from stairs."
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Police while showing the presentation of the SIT probe to the reporters, claimed that "Muhammad Altaf Bhat, a resident of Barzulla and Dr Mudasir Gul, a resident of Rawalpora went to the building without any police help. It seems that they were confident that nothing unusual or suspicious activity was going on in the building. However, some witnesses told police that the foreign militant (Bilal) was seen with Dr Gul and Magray, who was Dr Gul's employee.
And also Magray was a frequent visitor to Bandipora. CDR report also reveals the same.
The Hyderpora gunfight took place on November 15 in which a total of four people, including a foreign militant named Bilal Bhai, were killed.
The victims' families, on the other hand, questioned the authenticity of the police investigation.
Altaf Bhat's elder brother Abdul Majeed Bhat termed the investigation a 'fairy tale'.
Dr Mudasir Gul's wife Humaira Gul, on the other hand, said, "only those who were killed that day know what happened there.".
The bodies of Bhat and Dr Gul were exhumed three days later from the Handwara graveyard and handed over to their families.
Addressing these statements made by family members as well as political leaders in Kashmir, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) advised the aforementioned on Wednesday to avoid spreading 'provocation, rumour, fear and alarm' through their words.
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"Today on 29.12.2021 SIT (Special Investigation Team) came across with several posts on media from some political leaders and family members wherein they have been casting doubts upon the evidence obtained by SIT so far. These people have tried to call it “Concocted Cover up Story”, “Ornamental Probe”, “Clean Chit to Killers”, “Fairy Tale of Police” etc.
Pertinent to mention also that vide District Magistrate vide his Order NO. DMS/JUDINQUIRY/2838/2845/2021 Dated: 18.11.2021 wherein magisterial enquiry was initiated under section 176 Cr.Pc and accordingly the enquiry officer vide NO. ADM(K)/PSINQ/2021/1168/1172 Dated: 18.11.2021 issued a general notice through the electronic and print media and invited members of the general public to record his/her statement if any such person has any acquaintance or knowledge or proof regarding the incident. All such person making statements should have approached the enquiry officer with genuine evidence they have, for corroboration or contradiction of the facts surfaced in the case.
The SIT constituted in the case is still investigating the matter, all such persons are once again advised to provide any type of evidence if they have regarding the incident so that every aspect of investigation is covered and concluded on merits.
Such speculative statements from the political leaders have tendency to create provocation, rumour, fear and alarm among the general masses or particular section of society. This kind of approach is against the rule of law and may attract appropriate penal provisions as envisaged under the law," the statement read.
