Srinagar (J&K): On May 31, 1996, Muhammad Ramzan Bhat, a resident of Srinagar's Rainawari, was allegedly killed during a gunfight. The family claimed the killing to be cold-blooded murder. Now, 25 years later, a Srinagar court while accepting the family's claim has ordered police to bring the case to the logical conclusion in the next six months.
Bhat, a daily wager at Jammu and Kashmir power development department, was also running a grocery store near his home at Miskeen Bagh, Rainawari. He was killed by police during a "fake encounter" on May 31, 1996. Police also claimed to have recovered arms and ammunition from him.
However, the family asserted Bhat was a civilian and had no connection with militancy-related activities.
A Srinagar court, in its order pronounced on October 28, 2021, ruled that the post-mortem report showed that Bhat died as a result of torture.
"His body had multiple fractures. Three of his ribs were found broken. The FIR claims that Bhat along with another person fired at police and were killed in retaliation. However, the post-mortem report did not approve the police version. There were no bullet marks on the body of the deceased," the court said.
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While ordering SSP Srinagar to constitute a special investigation team (SIT), the court said, "The SSP Srinagar had formed SIT over the matter but despite that, the team just sat over the matter for three years. This shows the investigation was not done properly. Therefore, SSP Srinagar has been directed to set up an SIT and take action against all the police personnel who were found negligent during the investigation of the case."
Meanwhile, the Bhat family has mixed feelings after the court's judgement while hopeful of getting justice soon.
Bhat's widow Jamila Banu, while talking to ETV Bharat, shared her plight in absence of her husband and her struggle for justice.
"My husband was declared a militant and when I asked for proofs. They (police) had no answer. My three children were too young at that time only I know how I raised them. I went to every politician, bureaucrat and police officer seeking justice," she said, adding, "I had taken oath on my husband's dead body that I will not give up until I get justice. I never gave up hope and today we are on the threshold of justice."
The family, in the court, had claimed that Bhat was killed because the security guards used to take essentials from him on credit. "..when he demanded money from them, Bhat was tortured to death instead of paying only Rs7,500."
"I was very young when my father was killed. I always missed him. I would be an engineer today. My mother did everything but my father is my father. We don't talk about him at home because there are always tears and then there is only pain," Bhat's son Bilal Bhat told ETV Bharat.
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Sharing his struggle for justice, he said: "When I got a little mature, I reported the matter to the Human Rights Commission. The commission, in 2007, declared my father was killed during a fake encounter but no action was taken. Then in 2008, the commission issued another order in which it recommended compensation and employment for us. However, nothing happened. In 2006, the then SSP set up SIT. But nothing happened. I was forced to take up my father's case myself and so I went to court. Then I met Advocate Tabassum who mentored me."
"We first filed a case in the court for the status report. It turned out that the police had filed a closure report. I was worried that we had no information in this regard. Following which we filed a protest petition, the matter was heard and on October 28, the court directed the police to properly investigate the matter and take action against the culprits. The then SHO Rainawari, Mir Hussain, Constable Noor Ud Din, Constable Wali Muhammad, security guard Abdul Majeed and Security guard Azam Gurjar were involved in the case. I request SSP Srinagar to arrest all these persons as their crime has been proved in the court."
