At least six of the 49 deaths in the violence-hit Kashmir Valley have not been due to any action by the police or armed forces, officials claimed today.
"There are certain cases of deaths attributed to police action by the reports appearing in sections of media. The death of at least six persons was not due to any action by the police or armed forces, but has been caused by other reasons," a police spokesperson said in a statement here.
Giving details, he said 40-year-old Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Dooni Pawa village of Anantnag, was working in a tyre-repair shop when he reportedly sustained head injury due to bursting of a tyre on July 11.
On July 9, violent protests had broken out across Kashmir following the death of militant commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces in Kokernag area.
"He was admitted to SKIMS, Soura where he died today. The deceased had no firearm injury," he said, adding, "It is being wrongly alleged that the injury on his head was caused by a tear smoke shell."
The spokesperson said 17-year-old Ishfaq Ahmad Dar of Sopore in Baramulla district had fallen from a tree at his native village of Tarzoo and was admitted in Sub District Hospital, Sopore initially and later referred to SKIMS where he succumbed to his injuries yesterday.
"The status of his injury was mentioned as a fall from a tree. The nature of the injury was revealed to be intra- ventricular haemorrhage with left temporal contusion. He had no firearm injury on his body," he said and clarified that the information recorded at SKIMS about the person that he was allegedly beaten by the security forces is "false".
Ghulam Muhammad Mir (55), a resident of Isgund Khumrial village of Kupwara, was working as a coolie in Roads and Buildings Department and was posted in Cherkote, Kupwara.
"On July 16, a mob attacked 41 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion Headquarters at Kalarose, Kupwara where Army fired few shots in self-defence which resulted in injuries to some people.
"This triggered a pandemonium in which Mir was trampled and received blunt head injury due to fall. He was admitted in SMHS Hospital here where he later died. He also had no firearm injury," the spokesperson said.
On July 9, he said a mob attacked ITBP road opening party
and police party Aishmuqam near Ganeshpora in Anantnag. Police resorted to lathi-charge and chased away the miscreants during which Safeer Ahmad Bhat (23) of Cherigam-Pahalgam slipped into a nearby stream and drowned while running away.
"His body had no mark of firearm injury or violence," he said.
On July 26, a scooterist Mushtaq Ahmed Nawchoo of Kraltang locality of downtown Srinagar collided with another two-wheeler, driven by Akeel Mehraj Yatoo of Lal Bazar near Mir Jan Pora locality of Iddgah on Ali Jan Road, in which both were injured.
"Nawchoo was admitted in SKIMS where he later died. The other person is still admitted in SKIMS, Soura. The footage of the accident is also on record," the spokesperson said, adding "The accident was wrongly alleged to have occurred due to law and order situation in the area which is in contradiction to the said footage."
30-year-old Zahoor Ahmed Mantoo of Kisrigam village of Pulwama had as per reports gone to his relative's house to attend a function on July 7, the spokesperson said.
"Body of Mantoo was recovered from Jhelum by civilians near Jowbrara, Awantipora on July 13. There was no law and order incident in the vicinity during the said period and the medical opinion also confirmed death due to drowning. There were no marks of firearm injury on his body," he said.
