Representative image (ANI)
SRINAGAR: Over two months after being killed in an alleged encounter in north Kashmir’s Ganderbal and branded a “terrorist” by the Army, authorities handed over the body of a 28-year-old man to his family for final rites even as a magisterial inquiry continues into the shootout.The handover of Rashid Mughal’s remains marks a rare known instance in J&K in recent years where the last rites of suspected terrorists killed in encounters are usually performed by authorities.After the handover, Rashid’s kin completed his funeral last week at their ancestral graveyard of Lar in Ganderbal — the assembly constituency of CM Omar Abdullah who was among those pushing for the inquiry.The Army claimed on April 1 that an unidentified terrorist was killed in an operation in Arhama forests the previous night, a claim contested by the deceased’s family. The Army had not disclosed the slain man’s identity, which was revealed later through an ATM card found on the body.Rashid’s elder brother Ajaz disputed the Army’s statement, alleged he was killed in a fake encounter and filed a complaint seeking an FIR. On April 3, LG Manoj Sinha ordered the magisterial inquiry. CM Omar and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti backed Ajaz’s demand for a probe.“I believe the family’s claim should not be dismissed out of hand. At the very least, this encounter needs a transparent & time-bound probe with the facts made public. Any attempt to obfuscate or delay the announcement of a probe will only damage credibility,” Omar had written on X.
