J&K college teacher killed in Army custody

As security forces toughened up their campaign to contain the unrest in Kashmir, a young college teacher was killed overnight while he was in the custody of the Army in Khrew, outside Srinagar, sparking off fresh protests and a strong plea from the mainstream Opposition parties to end the “carnage”.

Shabir Ahmad Mongu, 27, was among dozens of residents that the soldiers took from their homes during nocturnal raids in Khrew, but was returned dead early on Thursday.

“His body, which had visible and deep torture marks on the face and chest was brought to the sub-district hospital at Pampore and handed over to the family about one hour later,” said locals.

The police said the incident is being investigated into but claimed that Mongu died in a clash between the locals and the Army following a stone-pelting incident in the area. Defence spokesperson Colonel Nitin N. Joshi said that the cause of the death was being investigated. Lt. Gen. Satish Dua, GOC of Srinagar-based 15 (Chinar) Corps, expressed his regret over the death of the civilian, and said that the Army would hold an inquiry into the incident on its own. When asked whether soldiers had damaged houses and other private property and thrashed inmates at Khrew, he said, “I told you we have our own procedure of investigating things. I assure you the incident will be thoroughly investigated into.”

An alliance of key separatist leaders has, meanwhile, extended the shutdown and protest calendar by one more week from Friday.

With the situation worsening by the day, Ram Madhav, BJP’s national general secretary and one of the architects of its partnership with the PDP, on Thursday arrived here to review the situation at meetings with coalition partners.

The residents of Khrew alleged that Mongu was murdered by soldiers at a nearby Army camp.

Over two dozen residents were treated at various hospitals for injuries they had sustained in what they alleged was Army “brutality”.

They also said that a small group of local policemen and CRPF personnel were accompanying the soldiers when they descended on Khrew in the dead of night. Many of these villagers had had severe beating marks on their thighs, waist, lower back and hips.

A police statement said that during the intervening night of August 17 and 18, “after stone pelting, a clash took place between the Army and some locals of village Sharashali, Khrew resulting in the death of one person Shabir Ahmed Monga and injuries to four others. The police has taken cognizance of the matter and investigation has been taken up”.

The police statement also said that security clampdown under Section 144 CrPC was in place in entire Kashmir Valley whereas curfew was imposed in Srinagar and southern towns of Anantnag and Pampore. It also said that stone-pelting incidents were reported from various Valley areas whereas a violent mob attacked the house of PDP’s local MLA Muhammad Yusuf in southern Shopian on Wednesday night. The mob set ablaze the belongings including a motorcycle of the lawmaker’s security guards “but the guard personnel exercised maximum restraint” while handling the situation.