Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir police's director-general Dilbag Singh on Thursday claimed that those killed during the Hyderpora gunfight were not innocents and there is strong evidence against them.
"A special investigation team has been constituted by Kashmir Zone Police to investigate the Hyderpora gunfight. We must give them some time to make specific comments. However, I would like to say with full authority that the police is doing its work professionally and our officers know how to conduct operations. We don’t want lessons on conducting operations from the people who are unaware of how the operations are being carried out,” DGP said while addressing a press conference in Jammu.
Also read: Families of slain civilians seek justice in Hyderpora encounter
Speaking about the Hyderpora gunfight, he said, "They were not innocents. There is strong evidence available in this case and will be shared with all the concerned very soon. These so-called innocent civilians are taking the foreign militant out for a recce on a motorbike, picking up targets and you call them innocent."
"The foreign militant (Pakistani national) who was moving around in the city with a weapon was responsible for shooting a policeman and that policeman recognized him, as he fired at him from very close range. Our investigation is in progress, which is suggesting very much that the militant (Pakistani) has a militant network around him, which was supporting him. We will see who is involved to what extent and will be shared at the right time," he added.
Reacting to PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti raising doubts on the Rambagh gunfight, he said, "this is politics and Mehbooba should stop it. Some people from Civil Society and social media often make claims which remain far from reality. This is high time people accept reality without mixing it with their imagination."
Also read: TRF commander among three killed in Srinagar shootout: Police
"Yesterday, three militants were killed in the Rambagh gunfight. Srinagar resident Mehran was chief among them and all three are responsible for so many innocent civilian killings including School teachers Supinder Kaur and Deepak Chand Mehra, probationary Sub Inspector Arshad and many grenade throwing incidents. Those who try to show them as innocents are enemies of humanity," he added.
While asserting that the police is pursuing every civilian killing case, the DGP said, "More than 20 militants involved in civilian killings have been killed so far. Only Basit of Kulgam is absconding right now and security forces are after him, he will be soon taken to task."
