Journalism of Courage
Wearing a white shirt and grey pants — the uniform of Government High School Narbal — Suhail Ahmad Sofi left for school as usual on Saturday. Soon afterwards, he was lying dead at a hospital with a bullet in his back.
As Suhail (15), a class X student, succumbed to the bullet wound he received during clashes between security personnel and protesters, violence erupted in several parts of Kashmir. Eyewitnesses alleged the youth’s body had been trampled by police personnel before he was taken to the hospital.
“It was cold blooded murder,” claimed Suhail’s cousin Shakeel Ahmad Sofi, who was apparently with him when he was hit by the bullet. “We left home together. Outside, some shops were open and traffic was moving normally. There were some youth — not more than 10 — occasionally throwing stones. Suddenly, the police came in two vehicles and opened fire,” he claimed.
Shakeel also alleged a police official, and not paramilitary forces, had fired at Suhail.
Son of a retired government driver, Suhail’s “vital organs” were damaged by the bullet, and he died before reaching the hospital.
“When police opened fire, we ran for safety. Suddenly, Suhail fell down. I asked him to get up and run. He stood up and ran again. Barely a few meters ahead, he fell down again,” Shakeel claimed.
“When I looked back, I saw policemen trampling his body. I called some women from the neighbourhood and they snatched him away from the policemen. I rushed him to the hospital but doctors said he was already dead,” he alleged.
Suhail’s classmate Riyaz Ahmad said they were together a few minutes before the incident. “It was unprovoked… They did not fire teargas or a warning shot. They just opened fire. After killing him, they jumped back into their vehicles and disappeared,” he claimed.
Riyaz remembers Suhail as an affable boy with simple dreams. “Before leaving for school every day, he spent more than an hour with his sheep. He had a flock of 15-20. He used to say that one day, he would have a big flock,” he said.
Separatists stopped from meeting victim’s family
The Jammu and Kashmir police Saturday prevented separatist leaders in the Valley from visiting the family of the 15-year-old. Authorities put Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest in the morning. Separatist leader and JKLF chairman Yasin Malik as well as social activist Swami Agnivesh were also temporarily detained by the police.
