“My son framed to save those behind civilian killings in Shopian”

We were made to sign on blank pages, says arrested youth’s family

Srinagar: The family of one of the two persons arrested in the Shopian ‘fake’ encounter on Monday claimed their son “was being framed by the security forces and the family was made to sign on blank pages”.

“The Army picked up my son, Tabish Nazir, on August 12. Later, at the District Police Line, Shopian, a DSP, Wajahat Ahmed, tore our missing complaint. Instead I was asked to sign on a blank paper,” Nazir Ahmed Malik, father of Nazir, a farmer by profession, said.

Mr. Malik, who held a protest in Srinagar on Monday, said the police officer warned that “if they had not signed the blank his son would have been branded as a militant”.

“Now our son is being linked to the July 18 Shopian encounter. It’s said he gave information to the Army [about the presence of three militants]. It is a baseless charge,” Mr. Malik said.

Speaking during the protest, Mr. Nazir’s mother also claimed that “her son is being framed”.

“My son is being deliberately linked with the Shopian encounter to save those who killed three innocent labourers [from Rajouri],” she said.

Mr. Nazir is from Shopian and lives near the Army camp that carried out the operation on July 18. Three persons, described as three unidentified militants after the encounter, turned out to be three missing youth from Rajouri.

Mr. Nazir, along with another arrested person Fayaz Ahmad, a special police officer from Poonch who worked with a police officer in Srinagar, was arrested, questioned and produced before the local court on September 30 for judicial remand.

A police officer said they were being questioned “for their role in the encounter”.

Police sources said at least three locals are under scanner for their role in passing on any information about the presence of militants to the Army on July 17, which led to the encounter.

However, the local police’s role is also under the scanner for mentioning recoveries, including arms and ammunition, after the encounter. (The Hindu)