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Killing of Youth By Troopers is Murder: Kashmir CM

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, Jan 3: A day after a 21-year-old youth was killed by paramilitary CISF personnel at Boninyar in North Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday met the victim's family and described the killing of Altaf Ahmad Sood as murder. He assured that government would not spare any effort in handing over severe punishment to the culprit troopers and maintained that justice would be given to the victim's family at all costs.

Omar this morning visited the Boniyar area in North Kashmir to personally console the bereaved family

He remained with the victim's family for some time and expressed his solidarity with them and offered prayers for peace to the departed soul.

Later addressing a public gathering, Omar said his current visit to the remote village is only to console the bereaved family and assure that Altaf's killers won't be allowed to go scot-free.

"I have not come here today for any other purpose but to meet the family, who lost their dear one in the firing incident yesterday. I have come to express my deep sorrow to the bereaved family and share their gloom and grief. The loss of a young person is of great pain not only for the family but to all. We stand by the family at this juncture", he said.

The chief minister said even if government has to move any court or take course to any law to punish the force personnel behind the killing of Altaf, they would do so positively. "The loss of a life is highly unfortunate," he said.

He said when a precious life is lost in such a circumstance in which Altaf was killed, it is all the more pain giving.

"The government would not spare any effort in handing over severe punishment to the culprit troopers. Justice would be provided to the victim family at all costs," Omar asserted.

Meanwhile, according to television channel NDTV, Chief Minister's motorcade was blocked by a crowd of around 200-300 people while he was on his way to the victim's home. "Omar got out of his car and told them that it was a murder as the boy was returning from school with books in his hand and two bullets were shot at his chest. There is no other way of terming this incident," he said.

"Do you shoot protesters in other parts of the country because they are asking for electricity? No, you don't," he said.

He said public anger was genuine but the response was not. "The government had dealt with tougher situations last year without having to use such force," he added.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.