Budgam: The 28-year-old youth, fired outside an army camp at Chattergam in central Budgam district on Friday, was declared dead by doctors at SKIMS around midnight.
After being critically injured, the youth, Ishfaq Ahmad Ganie son of Nazir Ahmad Ganie, was shifted to SMHS hospital late last night and was later referred to SKIMS. “He was declared dead by the doctors at SKIMS around 1 a.m.,” said a relative of Ishfaq. A resident of Magraypora, Ishfaq was a carpenter by profession.
Soon after learning about the incident, Senior superintendent of police Budgam Tejender Singh said that a police party was rushed to the spot to “ascertain the facts”. Later the SSP told INS that army stated to the police that Ishfaq was not fired upon by the soldiers.
Army later issued a statement, claiming that Ishfaq was “shot at by militants some 500-600 meters away from army camp at Chattergam.”
“When the army soldiers heard sound of firing, the ‘Quick Reaction Team’ immediately rushed towards the direction of fire to find out what was happening. When the party reached the spot, they saw Ishfaq in a pool of blood,” said Army’s Srinagar-based spokesman, colonel Rajesh Kalia, in the statement.
He said Ishfaq had bullet injuries, one in head and the other in leg, and was immediately taken to Chhatargam hospital from where doctors shifted him to SMHS hospital.
“The reports of individual lobbing a grenade on an army camp and the army retaliating are completely baseless,” Kalia said.
Meanwhile, authorities have snapped the internet in the Budgam district in a bid to prevent any protests against the killing.
