After Wamiq, 16-yr-old Zahid falls to bullets

Posted Sat, 02/06/2010 - 17:17

Abid Bashir-Srinagar, Feb 05: While Kashmir was yet to come to the terms after the killing of 13-year old Wamiq Farooq, another teenager, a lone son of his parents, was allegedly killed by BSF men in an unprovoked firing at Brein, Nishat triggering massive protests.  

The Chief Minister has directed Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir to conduct an inquiry into the incident.
The boy has been identified as Zahid Farooq Sheikh, 16, of Sheikh Mohalla Brein, Nishat. He was the lone male-child of his parents and had recently passed 10th class examination.

Eye-witness account 

Zahid’s friend Bilal Ahmad told Rising Kashmir that at 3 pm, they went to a playground adjacent to IG CRPF office at Brein to play cricket. “The turf was very wet and we decided not to play. We went to take a stroll on Boulevard Road. As we were walking on the road, two BSF vehicles including a gypsy came closer to us and abused us. They asked us to leave the place immediately. We were scared and ran. They fired at us and one of the bullets pierced through Zahid’s chest.  We were still running. He, however, collapsed near the lane leading to his house. We shifted him to SKIMS where he succumbed to injuries,” he said.

Two other friends of Zahid, who are also eye-witness to the incident, said they went to play cricket after Friday prayers. “It started raining heavily and we left the ground. While we were returning to our homes,  two green coloured vehicles, a gypsy and a lorry with Hangul sign inscribed on them chased us. As we ran for safety, they fired three shots, one of which hit Zahid,” they said, pleading anonymity. 

(Hangul sign is widely used by the BSF companies deployed in Kashmir.)

Massive protests

The incident sparked massive protests with people irrespective of sex and age taking to streets to protest the killing. They chanted slogans like “Katiloon ko pesh karo (Punish the guilty)”. The angry protestors tried to march towards the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence along with body of Zahid but were intercepted by policemen  near Brein. The cops fired dozens of tear smoke shells at the protesting people, who were chanting pro-freedom and pro-Islamic slogans. Owing to police shelling, the protestors kept the body of Zahid on the middle of Boulevard road in a vehicle for at least 15 minutes. The body was later taken to Brein.

Zahid’s mother, Parveena was beating her chest while his father Farooq Ahmad Sheikh seemed dumbstruck. People were finding it hard to console the parents of the slain teenager.

SSP Srinagar Reyaz Bedar visited the spot to take stock of the situation. “We don’t know who killed the boy. We are investigating the incident,” he told reporters at Brein.

People refuse to bury body

Residents of Brein, Nishat refused to bury body of Zahid as they wanted to lodge an FIR against the BSF in police station Nishat. “We will not bury Zahid till police lodges an FIR against BSF,” Zahid’s cousin, Ashiq Ahmad told Rising Kashmir over phone in the evening.

“We have kept Zahid’s body at Nishat Police station and have not offered his Nimaz-e-Jinazah as yet. It is raining heavily,” he said.

CM orders probe

An official spokesman said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has taken very serious view of the killing Zahid Farooq. “He has directed the DGP to immediately move to Srinagar and personally supervise the police investigation into the killing of teenager,” he said.

He said that government has also instituted a high level inquiry to bring the facts in the matter to the fore and book the culprits.  “The inquiry team will be headed by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir,  Naseema Lankar and she will submit a report within seven days,” the spokesman said.

BSF, CRPF speaks:

A BSF spokesman said they have no hand in the killing. “We have confirmed from our men and the feedback suggests that our men are not involved in the boy’s killing”.

CRPF spokesman Prabhakar Tripathi said CRPF men did not open any fire. “There was no deployment of CRPF men neither was any provocation. We had no reason to open fire,” Tripathi said.

Police Speaks

IGP Kashmir range, Farooq Ahmad termed the killing as a “mysterious one.”  “There was no deployment in the area. No law and order problem was in the area. We were told by the locals that some people have fired at the boy from the vehicle. We have registered a case and investigations are on,” Ahmad said.

6th killing since January 1

The killing is third of its kind in Srinagar and sixth in Kashmir since January 1. Earlier, Inayat, 16 and Wamiq, 14 were killed in Srinagar while a youth used as human shield was killed in Pulwama. Another youth was killed in police firing at Pattan while a youth Parvez Ahmad was killed in Sopore.

Protests should continue

Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday while condemning the killing of Zahid urged people to continue the protests peacefully against the ‘killing spree of the troopers and police.’

“Jammu and Kashmir has been turned into a police state and the government has even failed to govern the situation,” he said.

Taking dig at the authorities, Mirwaiz said, “First they kill innocent youth and then order useless inquiries. It is shame for the government.”

“The protests are the reaction of the killing spree and will continue. People give vent to their feelings with the peaceful protests. People want answers,” he said.

Source Rising Kashmir