People in North Kashmir offered funeral prayers in absentia for the eight alleged members of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) who were shot dead by police on 31 October under suspicious circumstances near Bhopal, hours after they allegedly escaped from the Madhya Pradesh’s central jail by killing a security guard.
Eyewitnesses told news agency CNS that a large number of people at Kunus area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora District shortly after the culmination of Friday congregational prayers carried out a pro-freedom protest and later on offered funeral prayers in absentia for the 8 alleged Muslim members of SIMI. The funeral prayers were led by senior pro-freedom leader Abdul Samad Inqalabi.
The protesters alleged that these 8 people were killed in fake encounter for belonging to Muslim community. They raised anti-India and pro-freedom slogans.
The eight alleged SIMI members shot dead were Zakir Hussain, Mehboob Guddu, Mohammad Aqeel Khilji, Mohammad Saliq, Amjad Khan, Mujeeb Sheikh, Mohammad Khalid Ahmad and Abdul Majid. (CNS)