The Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Tuesday rejected the magisterial report into the killing of three “civilians” in an encounter at Srinagar’s Hyderpora in an encounter by security forces last month and has demanded a judicial enquiry into the incident.

The issue boiled again after the Home department reportedly said that the magisterial report into the incident has been received and it could be made public after judicial clearance.

PAGD spokesman Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami in a statement said that the Alliance firmly believes that nothing short of a credible judicial probe will clear the doubts. The administration must, without any further delay, order a time-bound judicial probe.

There is a strong public perception that the civilians killed in the incident were made human shields by the security forces and the latest statement of the police seems to be a “concocted cover-up story”. it will not suffice the legitimate concerns of the people at large and the family of the slain victims, Tarigami said.
Press briefing of J&K Police about last month’s Hyderpora tragic incident is only a repetition of an old story. it does not even, slightly give any objective picture of this shocking incident, he added.

The police had said that on the evening of 15 November, four persons were killed, including a Pakistani terrorist – Bilal Bhai, in a joint operation by the police, Army and CRPF. Other than the civilian Altaf Bhat, the police described Dr Mudasir Gul, a dentist, and Muhammad Amir Magarey as ‘militant associates’ and ‘hybrid’ terrorists.

Police said that the CCTV footage and other evidence show that building owner Altaf Bhat was used as a human shield by the Pakistani terrorist Bilal Bhai, who was living in Gul’s chamber along with Magray.” Prima-facie evidence showed that Mudasir Gul was shot dead by the foreign terrorist on the directions possibly from across the LOC.

Bodies of two of the killed were exhumed after protests by the families claiming that three of the four killed were civilians. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The police had also formed an SIT to probe the incident.