The controversy over the Hyderpora “encounter” refuses to die down, with an affidavit filed by Jammu and Kashmir police in the high court bringing to the fore the fact that the Army has made a contradictory claim on the intelligence input that led to the alleged gunfight. The veracity of security forces’ account of it has already been questioned by families of the deceased and political parties.
In a tweet posted through its official handle on November 15, 2021, Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps had claimed that the joint operation was carried out on intelligence inputs of J&K Police. But the police affidavit, quoting a written report filed by the Army at the Sadder police station on November 15, 2021, states that it was Army’s 2nd Rashtriya Rifles (RR) that had received “reliable information” about the presence of militants in a building in the area.
“Brief facts of the case are that on 15-11-2021 police station Sadder received a written report along with seizure memo of arms /ammunition from 2 RR Army camp Zainkote Srinagar through HC Chain Singh No. 4485515F of said unit to the effect that today at 17:15 hrs Army 2 RR received reliable information about the presence of terrorists hiding in a building, jurisdiction of P/s Sadder and have planned for attack on security forces. Upon said information, 2 RR/ Valley QRT/PC Srinagar cordoned the area and started search operation to nab the terrorists. During the search operation, terrorists hiding in the building opened indiscriminate firing upon search party which was retaliated and in the ensuing encounter two terrorists were neutralized and two associates of terrorists were also killed,” reads the affidavit, a copy of which The Wire has.
The Wire has reached out to Army authorities in Srinagar for comments on the two different claims made about generation of intelligence inputs. This report will be updated when relevant officials comment on the matter.
When contacted, deputy inspector general of police, Central Kashmir, Sujit Kumar said that generation of input has nothing to do with the operation.
“The input also has nothing to do with my investigation. It hardly matters on whose input the operation was carried out,” he said.
Four persons were killed in the “gunfight” in Hyderpora area of Srinagar in November last year. All of them were buried in Wadder Payeen area of Handwara. Later, bodies of two deceased – Altaf Ahmad Bhat (owner of the building in which the shootout took place) and Dr Mudasir Gul (who was running call centre from the building) were handed over to their families for burial after exhumation.—Courtesy The Wire
