The Hindu : Youth dies in BSF `custody'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 11, 2002

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Youth dies in BSF `custody'

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR APRIL 10. A youth was allegedly killed in custody by the Border Security Force (BSF) just for carrying the name of a top commander of the Tehreek-ul Mujahideen. However, the BSF insists that he was a militant and had attacked them.

The entire locality of Soreteng in downtown Srinagar is up in arms over the killing of Showkat Ahmed Zargar. His parents call the BSF version as a "white lie".

Investigations show that Showkat was taken into custody by the BSF on Monday, and if his relatives and neighbours are to be believed, on mistaken identity.

"In fact, there is one more Showkat living a few hundred metres away at Hasibal and is a militant. The youth was taken into custody and "was killed just to make the numbers'', said an agitated neighbour.

Showkat, who is still at large, has been active for the past several years as the top commander of Tehreek-ul Mujahideen. The one who was killed belongs to a poor family and his father is working in a printing press. He was employed in the local DC office and was the only hope for his parents.

In the past too Showkat was targeted by security forces. In 1998 he was arrested by the BSF and detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA). However, when investigations by police found him innocent, his detention was revoked by the Home Department.

He was arrested again in January 2001 but released after six days when no involvement was established. Officials in the DC office said he had been regular in his duty and they were surprised over his alleged involvement in militancy.

Repeated attempts to contact senior BSF officials went in vain. But a BSF press release issued on Tuesday said that Showkat was a militant who attacked the BSF with a grenade and opened fire. He was killed in retaliation and one pistol and some rounds of ammunition were recovered.

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