Srinagar: A Kashmir man, who the government forces claimed to have nabbed during an anti-militancy raid, was summoned by police and arrested, his family said on Friday.
In a statement issued on Wednesday army claimed that based on an intelligence input they apprehended Bilal Ahmad Bhat, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, from North Kashmir’s Baramulla. “During the raid the joint team of party apprehended a militant of HM outfit,” the statement read, adding that one AK- 47 rifle, one magazine and 20 rounds ammunition was recovered from his possession.
However, Bilal’s father, Sanaullah Bhat rebutted army and police’s claim and said his son was was summoned by police on March 30, 2014, and he went to police station Kunzar the next day.
“On 30 March, we got a call from Kunzar police station and they asked for Bilal. I gave phone to Bilal and he spoke to him. They told him to come to police station Kunzar as they have to talk to him,” Bhat told GNS.
He said next day at 9:00 am, Bilal went to Police Station Kunzar and they told him there that ‘you are being summoned by Special Operation Group (SOG) and Pattan and you will go to Pattan’. “He came back to home and after having lunch and some work, he went to Pattan SOG camp. When he went to Pattan SOG, he was told by cops to wait as ‘Sahab’ is not here. It will take time so wait,” Bhat said.
Bhat said: “He called us and said ‘Sahab’ is not here and it may take time so I am staying for night. We told him you should have come back, but he said it is alright as they he has to talk to me.”
Next, day, Bhat says, he was still at SOG Pattan. “We took lunch for him. Four days passed like this and after four days the ‘Sahab’ finally met him and spoke to him.” Bhat said after SOG officer met him, we asked him that ‘what is the issue’ and he and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pattan said: “It will take a day and he will be released. He has no problem.”
Bilal, 24, is an Imam in local Masjid of Kunzar and he also teaches kids in a local Darasgah.
Bilal’s father says that due to absence of Imam, few locals of Kinzar went to Police station Kunzar, which had earlier summoned Bilal and asked police why is he under detention. Bhat said: “The police replied that Bilal was clean. We sent him to Pattan SOG and we don’t think he is involved in any mischief.”
Bhat, in order to get his son released, met Minister of Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir and he had told him that Bilal was clean and will be freed soon.
But, Bhat alleges, Bilal was shifted to SOG Kreeri and was tortured. “He was badly tortured and thrashed at Kreeri.”
“I went again to seek help from Mir and he promised that your son will be released on 22 March,” Bhat said. But, he said, “We were shocked when we came to know that he was branded as militant and police as well as army said they arrested him on Wednesday.”
While questioning police claims, he asked: “Where was he then before his arrest? Aren’t police a government department?”
He demanded immediate release of his son and said: “This is injustice and height of oppression.”
Denying family allegations, an army spokesman based in Srinagar told GNS that police had detained the Bilal in last month and released. “But, he was ordered to report before police every week. However, on a specific input of SOG, we arrested him along with an AK-47 rifle.” The army maintained that Bilal is a militant. (GNS)