Over 2 months after contentious killing of Kashmiri man in ‘encounter’, his body is exhumed

On April 1, the Army had issued a statement claiming that a terrorist had been eliminated in an encounter in the Arhama forests of Ganderbal. The identity was not released. An ATM card, recovered by the J&K Police from Mughal, eventually led to his identification.

The family had called the encounter into question, stating that the deceased was not a militant but an educated individual who helped people in his village secure documents such as domicile certificates, job cards, old-age pension cards and bank loan documents for nominal charges.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had sought an impartial probe into the incident.

The Jammu and Kashmir Home Department, which falls under the purview of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the encounter.

Announcing the probe, Sinha had stated, “I have ordered a thorough and impartial magisterial inquiry into the Arhama, Ganderbal incident. The inquiry will examine all aspects related to the incident and ensure that justice is served.”

The inquiry report was not publicly released.

According to Mughal’s brother, Ajaz, Rashid had left home on the morning of March 31 and did not return in the evening. “We called him around 6 pm. His phone was switched off. He had an old phone, and we thought it must have broken down,” he had said.

The next morning, the Station House Officer paid him a visit. “He told me that my brother had an accident and asked me to come along,” Ajaz had said. “They took me to the police control room in Srinagar and asked me to identify a body. I was shocked to see it was my brother’s.”

Ajaz had said police had told him that his brother was a militant. “I told them it was not true. I asked them to hand over the body, but they refused,” he had claimed. “They took it to Handwara; I was the only family member accompanying it.”