'We Were Indians': Once a Counter-insurgent in Jammu, Father of Slain Youth Refutes 'Militant' Claim

Mohammad Lateef Magray, who has once killed a militant with a rock, has refuted the police claim that his son, Aamir Magray, who was one of the four people killed in Hyderpora encounter, was a militant in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lateef, who is an employee with Public Engineering Department, said his son worked for a meager salary at a shop for the last six months in Srinagar before he was killed in an encounter on Monday night.

Known as a counter insurgent in Banihal and Ramban area of Jammu region, Lateef claimed he has killed many militants in operations with security forces in the past and was also awarded a medal by former Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra in 2005 for his bravery. He was feted with other awards too.

“One day I had an argument with some militants and they came to kill me. I fought with them and even stoned one to death,” he said, adding they were after his life. “I killed one militant with a rock on August 6, 2005 when they came to eliminate me,” he said.

“They came looking for me, but instead they killed my cousin as retribution,” he added. He had to flee village, along with his relatives, to take refuge in Udhampur for many years.

“It was literally after 11 years that I came back home. Since then I have been provided security. Some 10 to 12 men from ITBP securing me at my home in Sangaldhan village,” Lateef, now in his sixties, said.

He said on Tuesday that he was shocked to know that his son has been gunned down and ‘labelled’ as a militant.

“I, along with few sarpanches of some villages and a few relatives, came to Srinagar but police there told us that Aamir was a militant and buried.” I was given his identity card and told his body cannot be given back,” he said.

“How can the son of a man, who has fought militancy all his life, be killed and labelled a militant. It is not possible,” the bereaved father said.

“Hum toh pakke hindustani the lekin hum hi militant ban gaye (We were hardcore Indians and they’ve declared us militants now),” Magray said, adding he has requested Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha through media to handover the body of his son. “We want to follow rituals as per our religion and bury him in our village,” he pleaded.

Mohammad Ashraf, a villager, said Aamir was an innocent boy and working hard at some shop in Srinagar, as a helper. “Had he been a militant, then why would government provide security to his family. They’ve been provided security since the past 15 years,” he said.

“Lateef Magray is a Hindustani and today his son was killed in Srinagar. It is unfortunate that he was being labeled as a militant,” he said with a disheartened voice.

“If they were Pakistanis, then why did the government provide security to them? How did this boy become a ‘militant’ today” he questioned.

He said if the body is not handed over to the family, they will protest in Ramban and come on the highway.

“If they (family) did not see their son’s face, they will die. Who will be responsible for that,” he asked.

Addressing a press conference earlier, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar had said that the two militants- a foreigner and a local, an OGW and the building-owner were killed in Hyderpora encounter. He identified the four as Pakistani militant Bilal Bhai alias Haider, his associate Aamir Magray, overground worker (Dr) Mudassir Gul and building owner Altaf Ahmad Bhat.

Families of Gul and Bhat had refuted the allegations and said they were killed in cold blood and had no links with militants. They said both were businessmen and had families. They, too, have demanded their bodies to returned to the family for burial.

IGP Kumar however had said Mudassir was running a call centre unauthorisedly in the building and incriminating material was recovered from that. He said both Haider and Aamir were militants and two pistols were recovered from the site of the encounter.

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