The family of one of the two militants killed in a gunfight in Shopian district late Saturday evening has said that he was a civilian and had nothing to do with militancy.

The gunfight, which began around 7.20 pm, ended late in the night with the retrieval of two bodies from the site of the encounter.

The slain were identified as Shahid Manzoor Mir, a resident of the Gagren area in Shopian district and Irfan Ahmed Bhat, a resident of Meemandar in Shopian district.

On Sunday morning, as the bodies were handed over to the kin, the family of Mir maintained that he was not a militant and was killed in cold blood by the security forces.

“He was a contactor by profession and had nothing to do with the militancy or anything related to it,” the family said.

The police also have not called Mir a militant in their statement but have maintained that he was involved in militancy-related activities.

“Mir was a part of an FIR under Section 7/25 of the Arms Act in a militancy-related incident,” a police statement read.

The police are also investigating the presence of a militant hideout inside the house of the slain persons.

“Not being a militant does not make him an innocent man. There are questions that need to be investigated like why was there a hideout in the house, why were militants hiding in his house and why didn’t he come out with other family members when a cordon and search operation was launched,” a senior police official told The Tribune.

He said the role of Mir needed to be probed and only after a thorough investigation his involvement or innocence could be established.

“Prima facie, he was found involved in militancy-related activates in the past and he had militants hiding in his house,” the official said.

The family and relatives of Mir, however, have rubbished the police statement. They alleged the police were trying to justify his killing with an FIR registered 14 years ago.

Courtesy: The Tribune: 6th Nov, 2018