Hyderpora case: Citing security concerns, police oppose returning ultra’s body

Samaan Lateef

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Srinagar, January 28

The police say the denial of bodies of militants to their families has prevented recruitment of youth into militant ranks in Kashmir. On January 25, IGP, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar told the High Court of J&K and Ladakh that returning the body of Amir Magray to his family would pave way for “plethora of petitions that will have adverse ramifications upon larger security concerns”.

On November 15, Magray, along with a militant and two local civilians Altaf Bhat and Dr Mudasir Gul, was killed in a gunfight in Hyderpora. Their bodies were buried in Zachaldara Wudar in Handwara, triggering protests and forcing authorities for the first time to return the bodies of Bhat and Gul. Magray’s family filed a petition seeking his body.

IGP Vijay Kumar, through additional advocate general Asifa Padroo, opposed the petition.

Since April 2020, the police have not handed over the bodies of militants and civilians killed in anti-militancy operations to their families, citing Covid restrictions.

Reportedly Kumar has described the decision to deny bodies of militants to their families as a historic step to curb militancy.

However, statistics reveal that the move has not given a major dent in the recruitment of local youth into militant ranks.

As many as 126 local youth joined the militancy in 2019 and 180 joined in 2020.

However, last year saw a dip in the recruitments with only 130 youth joining the militant ranks. Of them, 73 have been killed and 17 arrested. In 2020, at least 158 people, mostly militants, were buried in these locations while the last year the number was 180.

The government had initiated a magisterial probe into the controversial Hyderpora operation but its outcome is yet to be made public.

The Army and the police have been saying that the Hydepora encounter was conducted on police intelligence input, but the police affidavit filed in the High Court contradicts the claim, saying the operation was conducted after Army’s 2nd Rashtriya Rifles received “reliable information” about the presence of militants in a building in the area.” Till date, security agencies have been denying that the operation was conducted on Army input.

Hyderpora case

• On November 15, Amir Magray, Altaf Bhat and Dr Mudasir Gul were killed in a gunfight in Hyderpora.
• After protests, the bodies of Bhat and Gul were returned to kin. Now, Magray’s family too wants his body returned.