Killing of SPOs-turned-militants
- Slain militants can’t narrate their tale
- We thought they are on mission in forests
The family members of two SPO-turned-militants killed by the forces in forests of Doda, Friday demanded high-level probe into the claims about rejoining of militancy by duo and also apprehended foul play in the encounter.“We have apprehensions about the way they were killed after they mysteriously disappeared along with their service weapons from police department and rejoined militancy,” said Farooq Ahmed, elder brother of slain Mohammed Riaz.
Farooq expressed shock over his slain brother’s rejoining the militant ranks and said he (Riaz) was ‘happy with his life.’
“He never remained tense and was enjoying his job in police department. One thing, which hurts us his rejoining militant ranks and then the killing,” said Farooq.
How can they remain in forests for a month and seven days without the help of others (whether militants or security agencies), he questioned and further alleged that except these two slain militants no other ultra was found by the forces. He expressed doubt about his brother’s rejoining militancy and killing too.
He told that the family came to know about Raiz from the police when he went missing from the DPL with his service rifle on September 8th and yesterday too, police informed them about his killing with another militant commander.
“There was no third militant. They were only two, who were from police. Government must order a high-level probe over the killing and rejoining theory. There must be something fishy,” another family member of slain ultra Raiz said.
He said Raiz did not establish any contact with the family before or after rejoining militancy. He said his younger brother (Riaz) had surrendered with seven militants in Kathua and then remained posted there as SPO.
“Riaz joined the militant ranks when he was studying in 8th standard in Government High School, Hambal in Badni village of Marmat,” the aggrieved brother of the slain militant recalled.
He said the dead cannot speak out what happened with them. “It is the government which can order probe so that families come to know about the facts,” he added.
We thought he was on a mission in forests: Hizb Commander’s family
A close relative of Gul Mohammed, the District Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, pleading anonymity alleged that the slain militant commander was spending his days in tension from some time but did not intend to rejoin militant ranks.
He said, “We were not shocked when he rejoined militancy. Instead, we thought Gul along with another SPO Riaz Mohammed was sent by the police department to carry out search in the forests of Doda.”
There were rumors in Doda from sometimes that militants have come on the upper reaches of the district following which the family never believed the claim of the forces that he (Gul) rejoined militancy, the aggrieved family of the slain HM Commander said.
“We thought they were sent on a mission by the forces but their killing has created apprehensions. Why he rejoined militancy when Gul was the father of two daughters and family was dependent on him? the relative of the deceased HM militant alleged.
He said last year a team from Delhi had come for his interrogation at Dak Banglow.
“Gul was called to the concerned police station and was sent to Dak Bangalow where other surrendered militants were also interrogated brutally allegedly by a security agency a year back,” recalled the relative of the militant commander.
He said Gul had torture marks on the body. “He fell ill for long time following the interrogation. We had to shift him to Jammu for advanced treatment.”
He claimed that before joining militancy Gul was working as a tailor and lived his life happily. However, frequent interrogations by the forces and illegal confinement by them forced him to escape from the house and join militancy. His elder brother Shabir Ahmed –a labourer was also picked up by the forces and tortured many a times, he claimed.
“The family forced him to surrender and return to the normal life. Accordingly, he surrendered before the forces and joined police department as SPO,” uncle of the slain militant commander Gul claimed.
“Rejoining militancy is a mystery which needs to be probed,” he demanded, while apprehending a foul play. “We don’t know the facts. Allah knows it and if anything wrong has been done with them, He should punish those people,” the helpless family member rued.
Earlier the forces claimed to have killed two militants, who had escaped with their service rifles on September 8 this year from Doda and allegedly rejoined militancy.
