Shopian turns tense as injured youth succumbs, toll reaches 3
Srinagar: The death toll in the alleged Army firing on a mob in Shopian district of south Kashmir rose to three after a critically injured youth succumbed to injuries on Wednesday morning.
Rayees Ahmad, who was among the nine persons injured in the Army firing last week, succumbed to injuries at a hospital here this morning, police said.
With this, death toll in the firing incident at Ganovpora area of Shopian has risen to three.
The Army opened fire on a stone-pelting mob on January 27. The Army claimed it had opened fire in self defence after seven of its personnel were injured.
The state government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.
Police filed an FIR under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) against Army personnel, including a Major, involved in the incident.
Rayees Ahmad Ganie son of Mohammad Yousf Ganie (19) of Narpora, Shopian succumbed to injuries during the wee hours after battling for life for about last five days here at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura. A doctor who operated upon Rayees confirmed his death.
His brain was damaged as he was hit by a bullet on his head,” the doctor said.
“He could not sustain the head injury and succumbed to his injuries,” he added.
The body of the deceased reached his native village at around 8:00 am, the relatives of the deceased said.
Notably, on Saturday last, two youth Javed Ahmad Bhat (20) of Balpora and Suhail Javed Lone (24) of Rawalpora Shopian died while several others were injured in army firing at Ganapora area of Shopian.
Meanwhile, the armyu has claimed that they opened fire in “self-defence” after a “mob tried to lynch an officer” during the protests, besides trying to set the army vehicles on fire.
Bilal Ahmad, a close relative of Rayees said that doctors were closely monitoring Rayees’s condition.
He added that Rayees was targeted at Ganowpora village when he was returning home from his Aunt’s home, situated in a nearby village Keegam.
Ahmad added that some local youth tried to help Rayees when he was targeted but the forces also showered bullets on them, resulting in on the spot death of two youth.
Locals said that Rayees a 12th class student was now only hope for his widow mother as his two other married brothers are living separately from the past few years.
They added that he was doing a part time job to support his mother and was very reasonable person.
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in the funeral prayer of the slain youth today.
Witnesses said that five back to back funeral prayers were for Rayees before he was laid to rest at his native village Narpora.
They said mourners were raising pro-freedom and pro-Islam slogans during the funeral procession.
They added that candies were also showered by women on the corpse of Rayees.
KV Correspondent
