J&K: Anger as Army shoots dead lorry driver; youth dies due to alleged police torture

Though the Army and J&K police have sought to absolve their men of breaching the law,�Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has termed these incidents as “highly unfortunate” and said that he has taken the matter up with the Centre and asked for time-bound inquiries as such happenings “risk alienating the very people who we need to carry with us on the road to complete normalcy.”

Irate crowds took to the streets outside the northwestern town of Sopore demanding “justice” after a truck driver Waseem Majeed Mir,35, was shot dead by the Army after he allegedly jumped a makeshift military check-post in Baramulla’s Sangrama area. The authorities rushed in police reinforcements and appealed to the people to maintain calm and assured them action will be taken in the case if warranted under law.

The Army said that its men fired few gunshots towards the truck Mir was driving after it ignored their signal to stop and sped away the mobile vehicle check-post (MVCP) late Wednesday evening. It said that Mir was injured in the firing and when taken to a nearby hospital the doctors declared him brought dead.

In a post on ‘X’, the Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps- also known as Chinar Corps- said that the MCVP was established by the security forces at Amargarh, Baramulla following receiving specific intelligence input about the movement of terrorists.

“One speeding suspicious civil truck was spotted. When challenged, the truck didn't stop despite repeated warnings and instead accelerated further while crossing the check-post”, it said. It added, “Alert troops pursued the vehicle for over 23 kilometres. Shots were fired aiming at tyres to deflate which forced the vehicle to halt at Sangrama Chowk (Baramulla). Consequent to detailed search, the injured driver was immediately evacuated to Government Medical College (Hospital) Baramulla by security forces where he was declared dead.”

The Army said that subsequently the fully loaded truck was taken to the police station where a detailed search of the vehicle was done and the investigation in the case taken up.

The J&K police that an FIR has been registered in the Police Station Baramulla. “The truck was moved to the nearest police station for thorough search and, meanwhile, the post-mortem proceedings have been initiated to ascertain the cause of the death of the truck driver,” it said, adding. “We urge the public to maintain peace and refrain from spreading rumours or misinformation regarding this incident”.

The police further stated that a thorough investigation is underway, and all updates will be communicated through official channels. It warned, “Any attempt to disrupt public order or spread false information will be dealt with strictly”.

Regarding the death of 25-year-old Gujjar youth Makhan Din after he was picked up by the police on the charges of being an overground worker (OWG) of the separatist militants in Kathua, the authorities said that separate probes have been initiated following the allegations of custodial torture. Kathua District Magistrate Rakesh Minhas said that he has ordered a magisterial probe into the death of Din, a resident of Kathua’s Billawar area to ascertain the exact cause. The DM has appointed Tehsildar of Lohai Malhar area, Anil Kumar, as the inquiry officer and asked him to record the statements of all relevant individuals and submit a detailed report within five days.

Even though the local police have claimed that Din took his own life by consuming insecticide at home on Tuesday evening, the J&K has appointed DIG (Jammu-Samba-Kathua range) Shiv Kumar Sharma as the head of a fact-finding committee into the incident and directed him to submit his report within ten days. The J&K police wrote on ‘X’, “The Zonal Police Headquarters Jammu has taken cognizance of the Kathua issue and ordered a time-bound inquiry by DIG JKS Range. “A police spokesman added that since the incident has raised concerns, the concerned authorities assure a fair investigation.

Various police parties have condemned the incidents and demanded transparent investigations and stern action against those found responsible for snatching “innocent lives.”

Former Chief Minister and leader of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti alleged that Din was detained by the SHO of Billawar on false charges of being an OGW of militants. “He was reportedly subjected to brutal thrashing and torture, forced into a confession, and tragically found dead today,” she said, adding that the incident “appears to follow a troubling pattern of targeting innocent youths on fabricated charges.”

On the Baramulla shooting incident, her daughter and media advisor Iltija Mufti wrote on ‘X’, “Shocking that after a civilian killing in Kathua dubbed as an ‘OGW’ another civilian from Sopore was shot dead by the Army. How strange that after chasing the truck for over 23 kms they claim to have fired at the tyres but somehow misfired at him instead?” She also asked, “Are Kashmiri lives so cheap? How long will you justify this unbridled impunity by pointing everyone with the needle of suspicion? “

Demanding judicial probes into both the incidents, JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra said that what has happened is “very fortunate and a matter of grave concern.” He asserted that such incidents are detrimental to peace initiatives, attributing to fear psychosis in the society.

“Killing of Innocent persons is barbaric, inhuman and unacceptable in a civilized society. Government should look into the matter very seriously and ensure that no innocent life is lost,” he said in a signed statement.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that he has taken up the matter with the Centre while the J&K government will also order its own inquiries.

“I have seen the reports of excessive use of force and harassment of Makhan Din in police custody in Billawar leading to his suicide and the death of Waseem Ahmed Malla, shot by the Army under circumstances that are not entirely clear,” he said.

The Chief Minister asserted that both these incidents are highly unfortunate and should not have happened. “J&K will never be completely normalised and free of terror without the cooperation of and partnership with the local population. Incidents like these risk alienating the very people who we need to carry with us on the road to complete normalcy,” he wrote on ‘X’, adding, “I have taken up these incidents with the Union Government and insisted that both incidents are inquired into in a time bound, transparent manner. The Government in J&K will also order its inquiries.”

Meanwhile, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army was found dead with a bullet injury in the Mendhar sector of J&K’s frontier district of Poonch on Thursday. The Army and J&K police said that some jawans discovered the JCO lying injured. He was immediately rushed to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival, the Army said, adding that though the preliminary investigation suggested the JCO might have committed suicide by shooting himself, the incident will be thoroughly probed