SRINAGAR: The body of a 30-year-old man who was killed in an alleged encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district earlier this year has been exhumed and handed over to his family, months after the incident triggered controversy and demands for an impartial investigation, ETV Bharat reported.
Family members of Rashid Ahmad Mughal said his remains were exhumed on June 13 and returned to them before being reburied late at night in his ancestral graveyard at Chunt Walivar village in the Lar area of Ganderbal district.
A close relative said the burial was conducted quietly in the presence of police personnel and attended by only a handful of family members. Police officials confirmed to the portal that Mughal’s remains were exhumed and handed over to the family last week before being laid to rest in his native village.
The case dates back to April 1, when the Army announced that a “suspected terrorist” had been killed during an encounter in the forests of Arhama village in Ganderbal district. The identity of the deceased was not disclosed at the time.
Subsequently, an ATM card recovered from the body by police helped establish the identity of the deceased as Rashid Ahmad Mughal, a resident of the district. The incident soon drew attention after Mughal’s family disputed the Army’s claim and asserted that he had no links with militancy.
According to family members, Mughal earned his livelihood by assisting local residents with paperwork related to domicile certificates, job cards, pension benefits and bank loans. They maintained that he was a civilian and alleged that he had been wrongly portrayed as a militant.
The killing sparked political reactions, with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, president of the Peoples Democratic Party, calling for an impartial probe into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Following the controversy, the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department ordered a magisterial inquiry into the encounter. The department functions under the administration of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Announcing the inquiry, Sinha had stated that the investigation would be comprehensive and unbiased, examining all aspects of the incident to ensure accountability and justice. However, the findings of the inquiry have not been made public so far.
According to Mughal’s brother, Ajaz Ahmad, Rashid left home on the morning of March 31 and did not return that evening. The family attempted to contact him around 6 pm, but his mobile phone was switched off.
Ajaz said the family initially assumed that the handset had stopped working as Rashid was using an old phone. The following morning, he said, a police officer visited him and informed him that his brother had met with an accident.
He was subsequently taken to a police facility in Srinagar, where officials asked him to identify a body. Ajaz said he was shocked to discover that the deceased was his brother.
According to the family, police later informed them that Rashid had been killed as a militant during an encounter. Ajaz rejected the claim and maintained that his brother had no involvement in militancy.
He further alleged that despite repeated requests, the body was not immediately handed over to the family. Instead, he said, the remains were transported to Handwara, with him being the only family member accompanying them.
