Amid shutdown a peaceful silent protest was staged on Thursday at Nowgam and its adjacent areas here on city outskirts to mark the 2nd death anniversary of two local youth who were killed in Army firing in 2014.
Faisal Yousuf Bhat and Mehraj-ud-din Dar were killed when the troopers of Army’s 53 Rashtriya Rifles fired on their vehicle near Chattergam. The duo along with their friends were on way to home after watching a Muharram procession at Chattergam area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
The killings had sparked widespread protests across Kashmir forcing Army to admit it was a “blunder.” Four troopers were found guilty of “violating standard operating procedures.”
Large number of people from Nowgam, Gulshan Nagar, Naik Bagh, Bonapora and Bypass assembled at graveyard and offered prayers for the slain youths. The locals also took out a peaceful procession demanding stringent punishment to the accused.
Muhammad Yousuf Bhat, father of Faisal, one of the slain youth said, “the Army claims that accused troopers were court martialled. However, I don’t know whether they have been punished or not. It would have been fair if they would face trial in a civil court. I believe the Court Martial by Army was to hoodwink the bereaved families.” Fazila Yousuf, the sister of slain youth told CNS that Justice is still deluding them. “We have lost faith in the system,” she added. CNS