Srinagar, Dec 30: Families of three persons claimed to be militants killed in an encounter with joint team of police and forces at Hokersar in city outskirts of Srinagar staged a protest, asserting that they were innocents.

“Yesterday at 10 a.m., he had tea with me and I swear about it. I don’t know where he was brought down from Sumo. Is this what is going to happen in Kashmir. Is this democracy? Is this the governor Raj? Kill me. Why you killed him. He was a student,” said Bashir Ahmad Ganie, grandfather of Aijaz Maqbool, one of the slain.

“Why was he killed? Was he a terrorist?” he asked, adding, “(Aijaz) is the son of a policeman Mohammad Maqbool Ganie who is posted in Ganderbal,” the elderly man told reporters outside PCR. “Tell us why our son was killed. If they don’t, let them send task force and kill us all at home,” the elderly man said.

Besides, Aijaz Mushtaq from Putrigam Pulwama, families of two others—Ather Mushtaq Wani (class 11th student as per family) son of Mushtaq Ahmad Wani from Bellow Pulwama and Zubair Ahmad Lone (carpenter) from Turkewagan Shopain—also protested and claimed they are innocents. Police could not be immediately contacted for the comments even as on twitter it said that three militants were killed in the gunfight. The names were revealed by the families and have not been officially revealed by the police so far.

Reportedly also, bodies of all three have been taken to Baramulla for burial with their family members allowed to participate in their last rites. (GNS)