Srinagar: The family of a youth from the Chattbug area of Budgam district, who was shot dead by suspected militants, along with his brother at their residence in March last year and was nominated for Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Presidential award 2023, has recounted the brutal killings of the siblings.
The two brothers Mohammad Umar Dar and Ishfaq Ahmad Dar were shot dead inside their house in Chattabug Budgam on March 26, 2022. While Ishfaq was working as an SPO in the J&K police and Umar was preparing for the Sub-Inspector recruitment exam, which was cancelled later amid fraud allegations. Umar figured among a list of seven persons awarded the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak by President Droupadi Murmu.
Also read: Budgam attack: SPO's brother succumbs to injuries
For the family of the slain siblings, the award has brought back the horrors of the twin killings. While talking to the ETV Bharat, Aijaz Ahmad Dar, the eldest of siblings, said masked men barged into our house looking for my younger brothers and then fired upon them,” Aijaz recalled. He said that in the ensuing firing, his brothers Ishfaq and Umar were killed.
Umar, he said showed exemplary bravery and fought with militants in a bid to save his brother Ishfaq. “He locked mother and my wife in a room and fought with bare hands. In the ensuing fight he received bullet injuries and died on spot,” Aijaz said. The father of the slain siblings said that the killings have left the family in despair.
“We were banking on them. While one was working in the police, the other was also preparing for the SI recruitment exam. We don't know what their fault was,” the father of the slain siblings said. He said that he is being a labourer, worked hard to educate his sons only to see two of them getting killed. “Even though we have got the approval letter from the Government of India for the nomination of the awards, but that smile will not be the same, which the militants snatched from us on that day,” said the father of the slain siblings.
