Kashmir Digits

J&K Police on Wednesday warned of legal action against mainstream J&K political parties for issuing “speculative statements” against a Special Investigation Team (SIT) report over the Hyderpora encounter.

The SIT had on Tuesday submitted its report in which it claimed that the building owner Altaf Bhat was killed in the “cross fire” while another civilian Dr Mudasir Gul was shot dead by the foreign militant killed in the same encounter.

The police had earlier claimed that four persons, including a foreign militant, were killed in a joint operation by the police, Army’s 2 Rashtriya Rifles and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Other than the civilian Altaf Bhat, the police described Dr. Mudasir Gul, a dentist, and Muhammad Amir Magrey as a militant associate and hybrid militant respectively.

Mainstream parties including the NC, PDP, Apni Party and People’s Conference rejected the SIT probe with the PAGD, an amalgam of mainstream parties calling the SIT to report a “concocted cover-up”. The parties have demanded a judicial probe into the killings.

Chairman of the SIT while reacting to the criticism of the probe report, said in a statement on Wednesday that people targeting the SIT probe “should have approached the enquiry officer” of the magisterial enquiry set up by the government on November 18 “with genuine evidences they have, for corroboration or contradiction of the facts surfaced in the case”.

“The SIT constituted in the instant case is still investigating the matter, all such persons are once again advised to provide any type of evidence if they have regarding the incident so that every aspect of the investigation is covered and concluded on merits,” the Chairman SIT said.

“Such speculative statements from the political leaders have a tendency to create a provocation, rumour, fear and alarm among the general masses or particular section of society. This kind of approach is against the rule of law and may attract appropriate penal provisions as envisaged under law,” he added.