Civilian Killing at Sopore: Plea filed in NHRC for impartial probe

SRINAGAR — A day after 65-year-old Bashir Ahmad Khan was killed in north Kashmir’s Sopore town, an activist on Thursday moved the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for an impartial probe into it.

A New Delhi-based activist today filed a petition in the NHRC for an impartial probe into the killing, citing different versions of police and family.

“The facts behind this killing can only be established after a due impartial probe by the National Human Rights Commission and the petitioner prays for its immediate intervention,” reads the petition filed by Saket Gokhale.

In the petition, Gokhale has pointed out that family of the slain man has disputed the official version over the killing.

“The J&K Police and the Central Reserve Force (CRPF) claim that militants attacked a CRPF and police party at around 7:45 AM while there they were placing a Naka at model Town in Sopore. They said that the victim Bashir Ahmed, who was driving a car, came out of his car to take his grandson to safety and was fired upon by the militants which killed him. However, family of the deceased including Nazir Ahmed (the brother of the deceased) and Suhail Ahmed (son of the deceased) have alleged that the victim was asked to come out of from his vehicle by security forces and killed on the roadside,” the petition said.

The plea for NHRC probe has been filed at a time when almost all major political parties in J&K have sought an impartial inquiry into the killing.