Conflict

Custodial death: 7 years on, Police yet to file an FIR, says father of slain teen

‘Omar Abdullah dragged my daughter out from his house’

Srinagar: Umar Qayoom’s father Abdul Qayoom, from Soura, on Tuesday told that even seven years after the custodial killing of his 17-year old son, the police have not filed an FIR with regard to it.

According the family, Umar died in police custody on August 25, during the 2010 civil uprising.

“We are going to observe Umar Qayoom’s 7th Death anniversary on Aug 25, but till date no FIR has been lodged to probe the incident let alone the question of bringing culprits to justice,” Abdul Qayoom, the father of the deceased youth told CNS, a news agency.

“We approached State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) which seems to be a ‘paper tiger’ and whose recommendations are rarely implemented” he said.

Abdul Qayoom said they have been repeatedly approaching the police for registering an FIR in the case.

“A top police official approached us several times asking me to withdraw the case in lieu of monetary benefits and job, but I bluntly refused to do so,” he said.

“We want justice. We want the policemen who tortured Umar to death, to be brought to justice,” he said.

Umar breathed his last at SKIMS on August 25, 2010. A class 11th student, Umar, according to family was picked up by police on August 20 along with two other youth- Amir Bashir Sheikh, son of Bashir Ahmad of Umarheir, Buchpora, and Irshad Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Qadir of Dar Mohalla, Soura, during protests in Malik Sahab locality.

However, the trio was granted bail a few days later by a court and they were accordingly released.

Qayoom said police brutally tortured his son in custody and didn’t allow him to be taken to hospital. “At the time of his arrest, my son was thrashed against an iron shutter of a shop and an electric pole,” he said and added; “We don’t want any other family to suffer like this. The killers must be punished so that it acts as a deterrent in future,” he asserted.

He said that the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah had asked victims to approach him for justice. “When my daughter visited Omar Abdullah’s Gupkar residence, the security men on his directions dragged her out from the house. How can you expect justice when people at the helm of affairs are so callous toward your hardships,” he questioned.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, reveals that no torture has taken place in police custody. The post-mortem of his (Umar Qayoom) dead body has also not been conducted as the Next of Kins of the deceased didn’t allow exhumation of the body (on emotional grounds). Since, the death is not attributed to law and order problem, the case is not covered for grant of special ex-gratia relief.”

 

(With inputs from CNS)

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