The district authorities Tuesday ordered exhumation of a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant, who was killed in an encounter with the police in Ownta Bhawan, Soura area of the city, after a family from Anantnag district claimed to be their son.Reports reaching GNS said that acting on an application moved by Mohammad Shafi Malik of Malik Pora village of Arwani in Bijbehara, claiming that the Lashkar militant killed in an encounter with police at Ownta Bhawan on December 5 was his son Shahid-ul-Islam, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Shah Tuesday ordered the exhumation of the body from Shaheed Mazar, Dagpora in Ahmad Nagar area of the city.The body was exhumed in presence of Malik and his elder son Rafiq.Civil and police officials, including Tehsildar and police officers were also present on the spot.Talking to GNS, Shafi said that his son was associated with Lashkar from last five and a half months. He said he came to know about his son’s killing only after his pictures surfaced on the social media sites.My son was a simple boy with high morals and etiquettes. He had submitted admission form for the BSc first year at the College before he went missing. I’m puzzled what made him pick arms,” he said.
Besides Shahid-ul-Islam, Shafi said, he has four children, including three daughters.The body of Shahid-ul-Islam was later buried by his relatives at Shaheed graveyard in Arwani.Thousands of people, shouting anti-government slogans, joined the funeral procession.Meanwhile, a police spokesman in a statement issued to GNS said that acting on the directions of Deputy Commissioner Srinagar on an application moved by Mohammad Shafi, the body of the militant was exhumed in presence of a Magistrate and the relatives identified him as Shahid-ul-Islam Malik son of Mohammad Shafi Malik resident of Arwani, Bijbehara.
The body has been handed over to the kins for last rites, he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that two militants were killed in an encounter on 5th December when a Santro car was stopped by the police, the police spokesman said.The militants travelling in the car had fired on the police. One militant was killed in retaliatory fire. Another who took refuge in a cow shed was killed after 3-hours gun battle in which two cops had also got injured, he said.One of the slain militants was identified as Qari Asrar while the other militant was today identified by his family. A Special Investigation Team has been formed to trace the third militant who has escaped in a white Santro car in which all the three militants were boarding before the incident, he said. (GNS)