Our sons have been falsely implicated, claim families of accused in Babar Qadri’s killing

Srinagar: Families of accused people in advocate Babar Qadri’s killing Friday claimed that their sons were innocent and asked investigating agencies to show them proof.

Family members of arrested duo stage protest in Srinagar’s Press Enclave. Photograph by KNT

On September 24, advocate Babar Qadri was shot dead by two gunmen who disguised as clients, at his residence at Hawal area of downtown Srinagar.

PQadiri’s mother mourns for her son. | Photo Credit: The Wire

They reportedly told Qadri that they wanted to discuss an accident-related matter, but took out pistols and fired in his head. Qadri was rushed to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) hospital in Srinagar, but he was declared brought dead.

While as per reports, the three detainees have told the police that the order for his September 24 assassination came from central jail, Srinagar.

A special team constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir police to investigate the murder of the lawyer and television panellist also arrested two men from the Srinagar central jail.

The two individuals, who have been taken into custody, were in jail for a stone-pelting and murder case.

While families of accused Friday protested at Srinagar’s press colony claiming their sons were innocent.

Sister of one of the accused said her brother was on shop at Khanyar when Babar Qadri was killed. 

“Police can check the CCTVs. But my brother has been falsely implicated in the case. He has been interrogated. His legs have also been fractured due to interrogation,” she said as per news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

A relative of another accused claimed that police has done investigation in a “closed room”.

“We seek justice as our sons have been implicated in a wrong case. If they are involved, ask police to show us the proof,” he said. “We were shocked when we got to know that our sons have been implicated in Babar Qadri murder case. We stand by his family and those who did the act should be punished. But innocents should not be implicated,” he demanded.

In his last tweet on September 21, Qadri had tagged J&K police and said that there was a threat to his life. (KINS)