Rejecting the allegation that civilian was killed by security forces after he was brought down from his car at Sopore on Wednesday, Special Director General (SDG) CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Zone, Zulfiqar Hasan on Thursday said he was killed in the firing by militants from a mosque.
The allegations that the CRPF took out the civilian Bashir Ahmad Dar, a resident of HMT, Srinagar from his car and shot him dead is untrue, Mr Hasan told reporters on the sideline of wreath laying ceremony of CRPF Head Constable (HC) Deep Chand at STC Humhama today.
He said a CRPF party was a routine patrolling when militants hiding in a mosque fired indiscriminately with automatic weapons. It was a pre-planned attack on CRPF patrol, he said adding four personnel were injured. Later Chand succumbed. During the search of the mosque about 60 empty rounds were found.
However, it was very unfortunate that Khan had got caught in the firing by the militants, he said adding but some people have tried to give it a spin by alleging that he was brought down from his car and later shot dead by CRPF which is totally unfounded and baseless.
He said after the incident, technical details including pictures, were examined. We are very confident about what has happened, he said adding Khan was killed in militant firing from a mosque.
He appealed to people that militants should not be allowed to use religious places, including mosques.
A controversy erupted over Sopore encounter after family members alleged that their relative was killed in firing by the security forces. Meanwhile, CRPF in a statement had clarified that the gunfire was coming from a mosque where militants were hiding. A civilian vehicle, coming from Sopore to Kupwara, was caught in the firing range of militants. An old man who was driving the vehicle stopped the car and got down from the vehicle to move away for a safe spot but got killed by militants firing. Later, a boy was rescued by security forces who took position nearby.