Family cries ‘custodial killing’, police say he escaped during night
Sopore : Tension has gripped Sopore town after a 23-year-old youth allegedly died in custody.
Irfan Ahmad Dar was allegedly arrested on September 15 on the charges of being an Over Ground Worker. Police claimed to have recovered two grenades from his possession.
Police said that Dar tried to flee when they were on the way to recover arms and ammunition from a hideout. Later his body was found near a stone quarry, police said.
The family, however, rejected the police claim saying that Irfan was killed in custody. The authorities also snapped the internet in the area as a precautionary measure.
A police statement said that on September 15 at about 12:45 pm, OGW Irfan Ahmad Dar of Sidiq-Colony, Sopore was apprehended, and two Chinese Hand Grenades were recovered from his possession.
“In this regard, Case FIR No. 257/2020 U/S 18 ULA (P) Act, 7/27 A. Act was registered in Police Station Sopore. During the course of the investigation, a police team visited the Chairdaji area of Tujjar-Sharief along with OGW for effecting some more recovery on his disclosure,” police said
Police said while taking advantage of darkness and terrain, he managed to escape. “And during the search, the body of OGW was found near a stone quarry at Tujjar-Sharief,” police said.
Police said the body was taken to the nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC), wherefrom it was shifted to PCR Kashmir Hospital for fulfilling medical and other legal formalities and final disposal. “Further investigation is going on,” police said.
However, the family members of the deceased accused the police of killing Irfan in custody. “I along with Irfan was picked up by police for questioning on September 14 and we were kept separately. I was set free, but my brother was kept in the police custody,” said Javaid Ahmed, Irfan’s brother.
He said that his brother has been killed in police custody. “My brother was innocent and shopkeeper by profession. Police claim about the recovery of grenades is baseless,” Javaid said.
He demanded an impartial probe into what he alleged as “the cold-blooded murder” of his brother.(With inputs from KNO)
