A trooper and a civilian were killed while three other CRPF personnel were killed after militants attacked CRPF party in North Kashmir’s Sopore town.However, Srinagar family accused Para-military troopers of killing the elderly man. They alleged that Bashir Ahmed, a resident of Mustafa Abad HMT area of Srinagar was dragged out from the vehicle and shot at point blank range by Para-military troopers after militants attacked the CRPF party.CRPF Spokesperson in his version to news agency KNT while divulging information about the shootout, said that today at around 07:30 hours Golf Company of 179 Battalion CRPF reached Model Town Chowk of North Kashmir’s Sopore for Naka/patrolling duties.
“As the troops were alighting from the vehicles to occupy their respective spots of deployment, militants hiding in the attic of a nearby mosque started firing indiscriminately on the troops, resulting in injuries to 4 CRPF personnel. These include Constable Bhoya Rajesh, Head Constable Deep Chand Verma, Constable Deepak Patil and Constable Nilesh Patil. Head Constable Deep Patil succumbed to his injuries while one civilian died on spot in the militant attack.” Refuting the claims made by the CRPF, the family of slain civilian alleged that Bashir Ahmed was killed in cold blood. “We received phone calls from Sopore who informed us that our father has been killed by troopers,” the son of the deceased told KNT.Quoting eyewitnesses, the son said that little kid who was accompanying his grandfather was terrified after troopers shot him dead. “My father was 65 year old and he had gone to Sopore for some work. He was a Contractor by profession and was accompanying his grandson,” he said.Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) demanded an impartial probe into the killing saying that the family version of the deceased and the circumstantial evidence, prima facie, suggest that Khan was killed in cold blood. “The government should order an impartial investigation into the circumstances that led to the killing of a civilian who was on the way to Sopore in connection with his personal work,” the spokesman added.He said only a time-bound and transparent probe into the incident can reveal the veracity of claims made by the family of the deceased. “The security forces should exercise maximum restraint in such situations and ensure that no collateral damage takes place during such incidents,” the JKAP spokesman observed. (KNT)