Srinagar, Dec 28: Jammu and Kashmir police Thursday said that apart from a foreign militant, a local youth from Jammu region had been staying with the foreigner since long while as both were using the chamber of Dr Mudasir Gul as a “hide-out.”

Police also said that the local youth from Jammu Amir Magray was a militant and he had lied about presence of foreign militant in the building while the building owner was made a “human shield by foreign militant who got killed in a cross-fire.”

Addressing a press conference at police control room (PCR), DIG Central Kashmir Sujit Kumar Singh, while giving a detailed presentation about the investigations carried out into the Hydeprora encounter said that the CCTV footage and other evidences show that building owner Altaf was used as a human shield by the foreign militant Bilal Bhai, who was living in Dr Mudasir Gul’s chamber along with Amir Magray.

The DIG, who was heading the SIT into the Hyderpora encounter, said that CCTV footage, shows that Dr Mudasir Gul was travelling with the foreign militant in his vehicle in Srinagar city. “The footage and other evidences show that Amir Magray had accompanied the foreign militant during Jamalata Srinagar attack. Amir would often travel to Bandipora and Gurez, an angle which is still under investigation,” DIG Sujit Kumar Singh said.

He said that prima-facie evidence shows that Dr Mudasir Gul was shot dead by the foreign militant on the directions “possibly from across.”  “The investigations reveal that building owner Altaf Bhat was made human shield by foreign militant and that he was killed in a cross fire,” said the DIG, who was flanked by Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh and IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar.

He said that Amir Magray was a militant. “He had gone to a Darul Uloom Rahimiya to study but left studies mid-way. He would frequently visit Bandipora and Gurez. Why would.

“Two pistols and four magazines were recovered from the encounter site,” the DIG said. He said that the family of building owner hasn’t given them proper reply as to who was living on the rent, what was their rent payment system, rent deed etc. “There are no satisfactory details from Altaf’s family,” he said. The DIG said that some reports are still awaited as samples have been sent to Delhi and Chandigarh laboratories. kno