Srinagar: The family of a 38-year-old man from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, who died in police custody earlier this week, has alleged that the torture he was subjected to in a neighbouring village caused his death.
Unnamed J&K police officials have, however, denied the allegations through unofficial statements in local media, claiming that the slain was questioned in connection with a case filed at Litter police station (FIR No 42/2024) during which his condition deteriorated and he passed away.
Senior superintendent of police, P.D. Nitya, told The Wire that the death occurred in Pulwama “as he was in custody after registering of the FIR”.
On being asked as to why his body was taken all the way to Srinagar and handed over to the family there, he said, “Post mortem happened in Srinagar; that’s why the body was handed over there.”
‘Interrogated and beaten up’
The victim, Imtiyaz Ahmad Pala, 36, has left two minor children. He worked as an electrician and was the only breadwinner of the family which include his wife, an ailing father and an unmarried sister.
Speaking with The Wire, his father-in-law, Ghulam Hassan, said that Pala was picked from his residence in Pulwama’s Bandina village by a group of security personnel on Sunday night, June 2 during a search operation in Grawgund, a neighbouring village.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
