Pulwama: Sitting in a dimply-lit room of their two-story mud house, mother and sister of Akeel Ahmad Bhat stare into a mirror having his name inscribed with blood. On August 1 last year, Akeel, a young boy from Gaberpora Pulwama, was killed near his residence in firing by army and his family and friends maintain it was unprovoked.
On the fateful day, they recall, top most commander of LeT Abu Dujhana and his associate was killed in Hakripora village of this south Kashmir district.
As the news spread, strike was observed in Pulwama and authorities snapped internet. Akeel, an orphan, was sitting in the village with his friends as an Army Caspher coming from Shopian passed through. On seeing the vehicle, people fled to safer places amid fear. “Soon there was firing by army and we saw Akeel in pool of blood,” the locals recall.
Akeel was shifted to Rajpora hospital from where he was referred to Srinagar hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
“There was no stone pelting in village and the place is 15 kilometers away from the encounter site where Dujhana and his associate were killed how come it possible for security forces to relate the incident with the encounter site which is far away from here,” said Abhyy bhat
“Army fired directly on people who were running to their homes out of fear and Akeel was directly hit by bullets,” said Javaad. Akeel was the last hope and lone breadwinner of the family comprising his widowed mother, sister and young brother.
His sister Rihana cut his arm with blade and wrote brother’s name on a mirror at home. The family stares at the mirror every moment to bewail the killing.
Akeel was shot dead three days after his 19 birthday and on his first death anniversary, native village Gaberpora (Hawal) is in mourning.
