Srinagar
In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the families of three Srinagar youth, Zahid Farooq Khan, Asif Ahmad Butt and Shahid Ahmad Mir, staged a protest at Press Enclave, today, against Indian police.
The family members of Zahid Farooq Khan of Nowhatta, Srinagar, Asif Ahmad Butt of Rehmania Colony Srinagar, and Shahid Ahmed Mir from Khaniyar appeared with placards and banners at Press Enclave.
The protesting families said that the police were implicating Asif Ahmed Butt, Zahid Farooq Khan and Shahid Ahmad Mir in the murder of noted lawyer, Babar Qadri.
They termed the arrest of their dear ones arbitrary. They also demanded a proper enquiry into the whole incident by independent investigating agencies.
While talking to media persons, sister of Zahid Farooq said they have come to Press Colony after reports came through different media platforms that five persons of which some are lodged in Srinagar Central Jail have been accused in the murder case. “On September 28 we were asked by Police to send Zahid (my brother) to Police Station Nowhatta, to which we abided and sent him to the station. However, when Zahid reached Nowhatta, he was intercepted by Police Station Lal Bazaar and thereafter taken to SP office. Once we tried to approach the office we were not let to meet him,” she said.
Upto that moment, she added, “We had no knowledge why he (Zahid) was taken into custody. The day when Babar Qadri was killed, Zahid was at his shop at Khanyar which can be checked from the CCTV footage installed at the location.”
The brother of Asif Ahmad Butt talking to media said that they had not seen their loved ones from September 28 upto November 10. He said that Asif and Zahid were severely tortured in custody.
The families said that Zahid and Asif were severely tortured and interrogated for almost 45 days. They demanded a thorough investigation by an independent agency to bring forth the reality.
Family members of Shahid Ahmad Mir said that he was picked on September 27. “He is innocent. He is being implicated in the case. His mother died last year,” they said and demanded his release.
Babar Qadri was shot dead at his residence in Hawal area of Srinagar by two masked men after entering into his residence on September 24, this year.—KMS
