Sunday, July 31, 2011

Anger in Sopore over custodial death of youth

There was widespread anger in Sopore against the killing of a young man in the police custody.  Nazim Rashid, 28 years, was beaten to death by the police in Sopore on Saturday, hours after the police picked him up on the ground of questioning him about his alleged role in the killing of a civilian.

The police have registered a case of murder and the magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the probe. Thousands of troops were deployed with a curfew-like situation in the town.

But none of it could stop the clashes that occurred in Krankshan colony, where Rashid's parents live where the police refused to hand over the body at first to the family saying they need it for the post-mortem pupose. Later on the body was subsequently handed over by the police to his family members.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah declared the death as both "inexcusable" and a "human rights violation" and has sought a probe into the matter. Nasir Aslam Wani, Minister of State, in Jammu and Kashmir said that a case has been registered under the section 302 IPC. Also the in-charge of the police stattion ther and also two other police personnel under whose custody Rashid was has been subsequently suspended from the service.

Rashid's death has become a political issue when the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti insisted on visting Sopore. Therewas a display of high drama when the police prevented her by locking up the main gate of her official residence.

Ms. Mufti also raised the argument that after the recent killing of three people, the Chief Minister has always assured to punish the culprits but so far there has been no positive remarks.

The killing of Nazim Rashid has shattered the fragile peace in Sopore, with the opposition and seperatists groups pointing accusatory fingers at the government. What steps the government takes to re-store the peace still remains a big question mark.

Reported by
      AR

 

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