A day after police claimed to have solved the Peerbagh murder case, the family of the 20-year-old victim demanded a thorough investigation, saying the crime could not have been committed by a single person.
Police had yesterday claimed to have cracked the case, which had triggered protests in the area, and arrested the main accused -- Ishaan Majeed, a resident of Bandipora -- in last week's murder f Owais Bashir Malik.
However, an uncle of Malik's, said his family believes that "only one person" could not have carried out the crime.
"We are not pointing fingers at anyone. But our understanding is that only one person cannot do such a thing.
"His body bore severe injury marks and that has created doubts in our mind. That is why we want a thorough investigation in the case," said Abdul Rashid Beg.
Police have said that Ishaan, a resident of the Barzulla locality in the city, was a bisexual who had posed as a girl by the name of Umaira of Wanbal-Nowgam and was in telephonic contact with Owais for the last one year.
Upon Owais's insistence, when the duo met for the first time at the railway tracks near Peerbagh, the discovery of Ishaan's real identity infuriated the former and led to a scuffle between the two, police said.
According to police, Ishaan beat up Owais and, during the scuffle, the victim rolled down into a nearby gorge after which Ishaan left the spot and went to his aunt's house in Bandipora.
But Owais's family members said that if there was a scuffle between the two, then Ishaan, too, would have been injured.
They further questioned as to how the accused got hold of equipment to torture Owais at such a place.
"Honestly, I did not see the body as I could not stand it. But we were told that there were torture marks on his (Owais's) body.
"How can the culprit, if he was the only one, have got a stove to the railway track and heated up the equipment to burn him. There were burn marks caused by cigarette butts as well.
"I feel there is a need to thoroughly investigate the case so that the real culprits are brought to book," said Beg, adding that the family was hopeful as police have put the investigation on the fast track.
"We think there are others involved in it. Ishaan may have connections. We think the background of this case may be something else. Police should investigate all (angles) properly," he said.
Three Government Railway Police personnel, too, have been arrested in connection with the case for "not informing police and instead planning to dispose of the body at a place away from the tracks".
