Omar Abdullah Leads Sit in Protest, Demands Return of Bodies of Civilians Killed in Hyderpora ‘Encounter’.

National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah led a sit-in protest demanding return of bodies of two civilians killed in the now controversial Hyderpora encounter and their return to their families for last rites.

The families have been on a sit-in since the killings and held a candle light protest on Wednesday night while demanding the bodies. But police forcibly removed the family members and briefly detained a few of them in a midnight raid.

The slain duo has been buried by the police in far flung Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara citing “law and order”.

LG Manoj Sinha today ordered a magisterial inquiry into the encounter.

Omar led a sit-in of party leaders at a local park in Sonwar, a few meters away from his Gupkar residence, against the “government’s denial in handing over bodies of those killed in Hydepora encounter to their families for last rites,” news agency KNO reported.

“I had decided not to stage a sit-in but to knock on other doors but the way families of slain were treated yesterday evening, I couldn’t control myself and decided to raise my voice,” the former CM said.

Omar further stated that the families were “first called to the SP office and then to PCR and then asked to wait for two, three days”.

“So I had no option but to join the families in protest.”

He said that at this stage he has “nothing to do with the inquiry ordered into the Hyderpora encounter”.

“J&K police has itself admitted that civilians were killed in crossfire. I want their bodies to be exhumed from Handwara and the same be handed over to their families for last rites,” said Omar, who was flanked by senior party leaders in the local park here.

Asked about the J&K Police’s term of “hybrid militants”, Omar said, “I have read so many intelligence reports and I do watch happenings across the world but I haven’t heard about Hybrid militants. Somebody should make me understand what it means”.