KL Report
SRINAGAR
The international human rights organization, Amnesty International (AI), Thursday demanded investigation in to the civilian killing in Tral area of South Kashmir. It stressed upon the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure an “independent criminal investigation” into the killing of a 24-year-old student Khalid Muzaffar by army personnel on 13 April in Tral forests.
Pertinently, Khalid was killed by Indian army personnel in the Kamla forests in Pulwama on 13 April. Later on the Indian army in its press statement had said, “it killed a militant” but after locals identified the slain man, the army again issued a statement saying, “Khalid was an ‘over ground worker’ for the Hizbul Mujahideen, armed group, and was killed in a gun battle with army personnel”.
“The Director-General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, told Amnesty International India that Khalid Muzafar Wani’s brother is a senior member of the Hizbul Mujahideen, and said that the police was investigating whether Khalid Muzaffar Wani also had any links to armed groups,” Shemeer Babu, Programmes Director at Amnesty International India.
Quoting Khalid’s father Muzaffar Wani, Amnesty International India said, “the death of Khalid was a result of a fake encounter, or staged extrajudicial execution.”
“The Jammu and Kashmir government must ensure a swift, thorough and impartial investigation to determine if Khalid Muzaffar Wani was killed in an extrajudicial execution. They must also look into the family’s claims that he was targeted because of his brother’s suspected links with a banned armed group,” said the AI statement.
