Pampore, January 3: Family members of Muhamad Maqbool Dar who were kidnapped by Hizbul militants in 1995 claimed that a human skeleton that police recovered from a house here on Sunday was of the missing youth. Police arrested 5 ex-militants of Hizbul in connection with killing of Mohd. Maqbool Dar.
After recovering it from a migrant Kashmiri Pandit’s house here, skeleton has been sent for forensic examination while police has initiated investigation into the family claims.
Police recovered it from a house in Ladoo village of Batpora area after a local, who had purchased the house, spotted it.
“The house was gutted in a fire incident in 1992 and it was purchased by a local who was now reconstructing it. During earth excavation, a human-skeleton was recovered from the debris of the house,” said a police official. The locals said that the skeleton was recovered from the storeroom of the house.
After the news spread, the family members of Muhamad Maqbool Dar alias Bulla, who was allegedly picked up by Hizbul Mujahideen militants in 1995, claimed that the skeleton was his.
Speaking to Writer-South Asia, Maqbool’s family members said, “Maqbool’s elder brother, Muhammad Yaseen Dar who was the one of the top commander of Al-Umar-Mujahideen was killed by the forces in a gun-battle in 1994. Later, in 1995, Maqbool was picked up by the Hizbul Mujaheeden militants and went missing.”
They said Maqbool was putting on the same clothes and shoes which were recovered from the spot today.
“Even the amulet and the black head band he often used to wear, that were found from the spot belonged to Maqbool,” they said.
The family members demanded a thorough probe into the case. When contacted, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), South Kashmir Range, Shafqat Ahmad Watali, while confirming that police recovered the skeleton said, “Yes we have recovered a human-skeleton which was later identified by the family. We have sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for scientific examination and are waiting for the report.”
He assured a probe into the issue. “A special investigating team headed by SDPO, Awantipora will be constituted and a transparent investigation would be carried out. We will go by the version of the family and will also take the locals along,” Watali said.
After recovering it from a migrant Kashmiri Pandit’s house here, skeleton has been sent for forensic examination while police has initiated investigation into the family claims.
Police recovered it from a house in Ladoo village of Batpora area after a local, who had purchased the house, spotted it.
“The house was gutted in a fire incident in 1992 and it was purchased by a local who was now reconstructing it. During earth excavation, a human-skeleton was recovered from the debris of the house,” said a police official. The locals said that the skeleton was recovered from the storeroom of the house.
After the news spread, the family members of Muhamad Maqbool Dar alias Bulla, who was allegedly picked up by Hizbul Mujahideen militants in 1995, claimed that the skeleton was his.
Speaking to Writer-South Asia, Maqbool’s family members said, “Maqbool’s elder brother, Muhammad Yaseen Dar who was the one of the top commander of Al-Umar-Mujahideen was killed by the forces in a gun-battle in 1994. Later, in 1995, Maqbool was picked up by the Hizbul Mujaheeden militants and went missing.”
They said Maqbool was putting on the same clothes and shoes which were recovered from the spot today.
“Even the amulet and the black head band he often used to wear, that were found from the spot belonged to Maqbool,” they said.
The family members demanded a thorough probe into the case. When contacted, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), South Kashmir Range, Shafqat Ahmad Watali, while confirming that police recovered the skeleton said, “Yes we have recovered a human-skeleton which was later identified by the family. We have sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for scientific examination and are waiting for the report.”
He assured a probe into the issue. “A special investigating team headed by SDPO, Awantipora will be constituted and a transparent investigation would be carried out. We will go by the version of the family and will also take the locals along,” Watali said.
