Autopsy shows Nishat boy was targeted from behind
Funeral conducted amid pro-Azadi, anti-India slogans

AHMED ALI FAYYAZ

SRINAGAR, Feb 6: Post mortem of Zahid Farooq Shah today revealed that the 16-year-old student of Brain locality of Nishat had been fired upon from behind by the armed forces whose identification has been assigned to different Police and intelligence agencies in addition to two formal inquiries being conducted by Police and Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir. Meanwhile, on sixth consecutive day of near-total shutdown in Valley and undeclared curfew in half of the capital city, funeral rites of the young student were conducted today at Nishat amid pro-Azadi and anti-India slogans by the gathering.

Informed sources revealed to Early Times that a team of doctors from Government Medical College Srinagar, led by Head of Pathology Department and some doctors from Forensic Medicine Department, conducted the post mortem of Zahid Farooq Shah at Police Hospital on the Police Control Room premises here. Some members from the bereaved family and their neighbours also watched the proceedings recorded on two video cameras in presence of a duty magistrate and Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Meraj Ahmed Kakroo.

Thereafter the dead body was returned to the family members and carried to Brain area of Nishat where the funeral rites were conducted amid anti-India and pro-Azadi slogans by a gathering of nearly 2,000 people. DC Srinagar, Meraj Ahmed Kakroo, called on the bereaved family and assured the slain student’s father that Government had assigned the formal inquiry to Police and Divisional Commissioner. He told them that Chief Minister had directed the authorities to complete the investigation, identify and arrest the men responsible for opening fire within the next seven days.

Sources revealed that the team of doctors conducting the post mortem observed that the 16-year-old boy had been fired upon from an automatic rifle, probably while fleeing, from behind. He was found to have been hit in his back and the bullet was found to have come out through his chest. It has further nullified any kind of justification of opening the fire even as officials have already stated that there had been no provocation, demonstration or any incident of stone pelting.

Sources said that in addition to the two formal inquiries by Police and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Mrs Naseema Lankar, who has today issued a public notice asking all concerned and eyewitnesses to record their statement within next seven days, government had asked at least three different intelligence agencies to identify the culprits and the motive behind opening fire on a young student.

Kashmir valley observed near-total shutdown on the 6th consecutive day today. Valley has been disturbed and remarkably tense after another teenaged student, Wamiq Farooq Wani, died here in teargas shelling of Police reportedly on a stone pelting group of youngsters in Rajouri Kadal area of downtown Srinagar on Januray 31st evening. Hurriyat had called for a day’s shutdown in protest next day. Thereafter, shutdown has continued without anybody’s call.

With undeclared curfew continuing in half the capital city on the third consecutive day today, there were few incidents of stone pelting on Police and CRPF. As compared to the first three days of this month, situation appears to be improving but a degree of tension is perceptibly existing in Srinagar, Baramulla and Sopore towns. A couple of minor incidents of clashes were reported today from Batmaloo and Pampore besides Anantnag township in south Kashmir.

Meanwhile, two Ministers, namely Ali Mohammad Sagar and Nasir Aslam Wani, besides Advisor to Chief Minister, Mubarak Gul and NC’s MLC, Ghulam Qadir Pardesi, reached here this evening in the state aircraft from Jammu to take stock of the situation. They took a meeting with senior officials which, among others, was attended by DGP Kuldeep Khoda, ADG CID, K Rajindra Kumar, IGP and Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir.

Sources said that relaxation of curfew on rotation basis was likely in downtown Srinagar on Sunday on the final assessment of the commanders incharge of the localities in the morning tomorrow.

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