“How Long Would The Troops Kill Us?”

Rawacha (Varmul), Nov 11: Troops of 32 Rashtriya Rifles killed a driver here in cold blood on Friday evening, alleged the villagers here, who staged a massive demonstration Saturday. The protesters said the Army’s claim that the driver was killed in a militant ambush was a “cock and bull story.”

The fellow drivers of the deceased driver at Dangiwacha Sumo Taxi Stand fearing reprisal from the army said they would speak on condition of anonymity. They said the slain driver Bashir Ahmad Khan, 35, son of Ghulam Ahmad of Rawacha, a father of five kids, was asked by the troops of 32 RR at Dangiwacha Taxi Stand on Friday evening to hire out his Sumo vehicle. They said he refused to ferry the troops in his vehicle and had a heated argument with them. However, he relented under pressure and drove the troops in his vehicle, which he had purchased only two weeks back, they said. In the evening army handed over the body of the driver to his family. He had several bullet marks in the neck. Early Saturday morning, the army forced the villagers to bury the driver, the protesters said.

The Defence spokesman Lt Col A K Mathur said the driver got killed “when militants ambushed the vehicle in Rawacha village,” the native village of the driver.

The villagers said they heard two or three gunshots, and there was no gunfight between the army and militants, as claimed by the army. “Isn’t it surprising that only the driver got killed and all the soldiers escaped unscathed in the militant ambush as claimed by army. There are no bullet marks on the vehicle and only its screens are broken. They have killed him in cold-blood and they always weave cock and bull stories to justify murders,” said a protester, Muhammad Shaban.

“I was anxious when he didn’t return till 8 in the evening. I though he might be on a long trip. I didn’t know my world has been shattered; who would feed my children,” said Shamima, wife of the driver.

Thousands of people marched from Rawacha to Dangiwacha shouting slogans against the army and the state government, and in favour of militants. The protesters belonged to Dangiwacha, Batpora, Ruchama, Wadipora, Bakpora, and many other adjoining villages. They blocked Srinagar-Handwara highway at Dangiwacha for five hours.

“How long would the troops kill us? We will not tolerate all this,” said Fayaz, a protester. “He was killed in cold-blood because he told them on their faces that he would not hire out his car.”

Taking a dig at Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Hafiza, 37, a housewife said, “Azad said custodial killings would not be tolerated and I thought no one will be killed in custody like my brother who was killed by the army in custody; please tell Azad to stop killing of innocent Kashmiris.”

The protests were dispersed after one Deputy Superintendent told them district magistrate wants to meet them regarding the incident. “Yes I pacified the mob and asked them to meet the District Magistrate; they have many complaints against Army,” the Dy SP Stanzin Losal told Greater Kashmir.

Senior Superintendent of Police Varmul Viplav Kumar told Greater Kashmir that the driver was killed “in ambush, but still we have started investigation into the incident. The army had hired the Sumo for operational purpose. While on their way militants fired at the vehicle hitting the driver. He lost control over the vehicle and skidded off the road, and the vehicle turned on its side.”

The deputy commissioner Varmul Baseer Khan said, “The SDM Sopur would probe the incident and submit his report in 20 days.”