Sheikh Tanveer Sultan, a youth from Bemina who was killed in a shootout at Kud Town along Srinagar Jammu National Highway, was on Wednesday laid to rest amid massive anti-India protests and clashes at martyrs’ graveyard in Batamaloo here.According to GNS correspondent, the body of the slain was handed over to his family by police after two days and today morning he was taken to Ibrahim Colony in Bemina in a truck amid massive pro-freedom and pro-Islam slogans.Hundreds of men, women and children who had already gathered at Ibrahim Colony, greeted the slain with Azadi and anti-India slogans. The flags of ISIS and Pakistan were also seen on the occasion. The funeral prayers of the slain, who was termed as militant by government, was offered at a park in Bemina which was attended by hundreds of people. On the occasion, a huge contingent of police was deployed in Bemina while the police were also deployed at Chattabal-Bemina crossing.After the conclusion of funeral, a huge procession carrying the body of the slain started a March towards Batamaloo for burying the slain. Amid sloganeering and heavy protests, the procession reached Batamaloo where two more funerals were held for the slain. Later, the slain was buried at Martyrs’ graveyard Dandarkhah next to the grave of his slain brother who was militant commander.
After the burial, scores of youths clashed with government forces at Batamaloo areas including SD Colony, Bazar Batamaloo, Reka Chowk and Ziyarat. Police fired dozens of teargas shells but youth continued pelting stones and the clashes between the two sides continued till late hours.Pertinently, Tanveer according to police was killed in an exchange of fire with forces at Kud in Udhampur district on Monday.Yesterday, the government told the assembly that during a search of the bus on Srinagar-Jammu highway, at Kud, Tanveer fired at the police/CRPF team after nearly all passengers got down. Besides Tanveer, a woman was also killed and two other civilians were wounded, government spokesman Naeem Akhtar said. An AK-47 rifle and a pistol were recovered from him, Akhtar had said. The family of the slain youth contested the police and government claim that he was a militant.“How can an active militant live and stay at home,” the family had asked. The family of Tanveer said that he was a psychiatric patient and had been getting treatment in a hospital in Amritsar. (GNS)