A family from uptown area of Srinagar city Monday staged a protest demanding the immediate arrest of three cops and a civilian allegedly responsible for the ‘murder’ of their sole bread earner.The body of Muhammad Yasin Sheikh (26), a resident of Madeena Colony Aloochi Bagh was recovered by Police from flood channel near Tengapora Bypass here in Srinagar city on June 26 last month.Police according to protesting family members had arrested three SPO’s and two civilians including the eyewitness Mudasir Ahmed Mir, however, they according to victims family were released, despite directions were passed by SSP Srinagar to conduct a thorough probe into the incident.Mudasir Ahmed Mir, who claimed to be the eyewitness of the incident accompanied the protesters. While narrating the incident he said: “On that fateful day, I along with the deceased was waiting on Alochi Bagh Bund for one Faisal Ahmed alias Ranga of Barzulla who was supposed to handover a mobile memory card to Yasin.
After his arrival, we all the three were busy in private conversation tasting bananas.Suddenly three people introducing themselves as cops emerged on a bike there. They were probably called by Faisal with a purpose to extort money from us as Faisal caught hold of Yasin when those cops asked us to accompany to Shergari Police Station.
When we asked them what our crime was, they said police officers at Shergarhi Station wanted to question them. The three SPO’s demanded Rs 20,000 from us while Yasin was ready to pay Rs 3,000 to avoid a visit to police station. During the argument, Yasin tried to flee from the spot. They chased him and he slipped into the flood channel.Shortly after the incident, Faisal and those three SPO’s also fled from the spot. I appeared before police and as a witness recorded the same statement at Police Station Shergarhi where I spent 9 days in lockup. I saw those SPO’s there as well. Even my cell phone is still in the possession of police,” the eyewitness told CNS.Shugufta Banoo, the sister of the deceased said that they met SSP Srinagar who passed directions to SP South to conduct a thorough probe into the incident. “Whenever, we visit police station, we are being asked to leave the Station. Tell us, whose doors we have to knock at for justice,” she said and added that ‘killers’ are roaming free and no action has been taken against them. “Even that civilian from Barzullah who was part of crime has not been touched by police,” she said.The family members sought the intervention of Inspector General of Police.Meanwhile, SP South and Station House Officer Shergarhi didn’t comment on the issue saying they are not authorized to speak on the issue. (CNS)