KNB News Desk
Srinagar 28 December (KNB): DIG Sujit Kumar on Tuesday in a press conference along with DGP J&K Dilbag Singh and IGP-K Vijay Kumar here said that foreign militant in Hyderpora encounter had killed Dr Mudasir Gul in the attic of the building where operation started on 15th November’s evening and later used Altaf Bhat, building’s owner, as human shield who died in cross-firing.
DIG Sujit Kumar, who was incharge of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was constituted on 16th November to investigate the Hyderpora encounter, said that they had recovered two pistols, four magazines, bullets and other paraphernalia initially from the encounter site. He said that he had himself, along with his team, inspected the site and later found out that a foreign militant had successfully covered 83 metres when security forces had retaliated against him.
He said that in the office of Dr Mudasir Bhat was a small chamber where Amir Magray used to live. “In the CCTV footage, we saw the foreign militant in Amir Magray’s room… After ascending the stairs, there was an attic having a hall and body lying in the middle was of doctor Mudasir’s. Later the things like DVR, phones, sims and others which were found at the location were sent to Delhi, Chandigarh, and some to Srinagar for its further analysis,” DIG Sujit Kumar said.
An IO copy of these things was shown to the reporters, and the DIG heading the SIT said that they had the IO copy which took time in returning and otherwise would have addressed the media earlier.
He further said that they were able to find out important witnesses who were eyewitnesses to that whole event (Hyderpora encounter) “and later some linkages took us to Bandipora where other witnesses were also discovered,” he said.
Regarding Srinagar witnesses, the DIG heading the SIT said that on 14th November’s evening, zonal SP’s PSOs were attacked and among whom one of the SPOs had seen the militant closely. “That SPO identified the militant, who had attacked upon them, as the foreign militant killed in the Hyderpora encounter. He clearly said before the magistrate that the foreign militant killed in the Hyderpora encounter was the one who had attacked upon them.” he said, adding that the witnesses also had seen slain “foreign militant” being in touch with Dr Mudasir Gul and used to often talk on the phone with his language neither being Kashmiri, not Dogri which makes out him a foreigner.
“The witnesses had often seen that foreign militant in the vehicle of Dr Mudasir Gul travelling in Srinagar. And the independent witnesses that were present at the time of operation at the site also said that the police did not misbehave with them,” the DIG said.
Regarding Amir Magray, DIG said that one witness, who was very close to Amir, conceded that in the morning of 15th November, a photograph was sent by Amir of himself to him (witness) on the phone flashing a pistol. However, the DIG said that the face in the photograph was covered with a sticker, “but our witness was so close to Amir that he found the person in the photograph was Amir Magray.”
DIG Sujit Kumar also said that another witness also confessed that Amir Magray was working at Dr Mudasir Gul’s place as he used to say that he is working with some doctor. “He would also pressurise the witness to find a house for him at some safer place in Bandipora,” said Kumar.
He further said Amir earlier used to study in Darul Uloom Raheemiya to get a degree in Aalmiyat, where his friends had observed “some change and carelessness” in Amir. “We also got to know that Amir often used to make visits between Bandipora and Srinagar. He even used to visit Gurez, which is prone to infiltration bids,” said Kumar.
He said Amir Magray was with a foreign militant at his room in the building on the night of 14th November and the CCTV footage showed that the foreign militant had a pistol in his possession also at that time. Responding to the question of reporters, DIG said that as both Amir and a foreign militant were found in the chamber of Dr Gul’s room, which implies Dr Gul was an Over Ground Worker (OGW).
He further said that with the help of a dog mounted camera, the body of Dr Mudasir Gul was found lying in the middle of the attic with cartridges of a 9mm pistol around him. DIG Kumar said neither fire was opened nor did anyone go to the place where the body of Gul was found. “It seemed that there must have been some argument between them (foreign militant and Dr Gul) or the militant might have been told that the operation was conducted at the behest of Dr Gul, and on the basis of that the foreign militant killed Dr Gul in the attic, which the SIT’s finding is alluding to,” Kumar said, adding that as per security forces two pistol fires was also heard by them which were opened in the attic of the building.
DIG also said that the foreign militant, when in a bid to come outside the building, had used Altaf Bhat, as a human shield, who after receiving fire, died on the spot while the foreign militant was killed outside the building after covering around 83 metres with Amir Magray killed in the proximity of the building’s gate.
He further said that both Amir and the foreign militant had pistols in their hands, which also suggested that it was a pistol gang having a hand in the killing of Waseem Bari in Bandipora.
Regarding Altaf Bhat, who was taken inside the building amid suspicion of the presence of militants there, DIG Sujit Kumar said that forces were not aware that there was any militant inside the building and therefore would not have asked everyone before the operation whether there was any militant inside the building or not if had prior information. (KNB)