Srinagar, Police on Saturday said that “encounter” at Hokersar Lawaypora Srinagar started with army inputs and eventually fructified into a joint operation of Army, CRPF and Police.
In a statement issued here, police also claimed links of the slain with militants even as it said “nevertheless police is investigating into the case from all possible angles.”
“After the cordon was laid, (militants) lobbed grenade from inside and fired upon the search party. Although as per SOP (militants) were repeatedly appealed by the troops to surrender in the evening and again in the morning. However, instead of surrendering, they fired upon troops and eventually got neutralised in a firefight,” a police spokesperson said in a statement issued to GNS.
“In so far as claims of the parents that Aijaz Maqbool Ganai went to the University to fill up form is concerned. The same was verified and cross checked through the modern techniques including records of telecom department. Contrary to the claims, the verified digital evidence revealed and corroborated that Aijaz and Ather had gone to Hyderpora and from there to the place of occurrence only,” he said, adding, “Similarly, Zubair had gone first to Pulwama, then Anantnag, then Shopian to Pulwama and finally came to place of occurrence.”
Background check, he said, also reveals that Aijaz and Ather, “both OGWs variously provided logistic support” to militants. “Antecedents and verifications too shows that both were radically inclined and had aided (militant) of LeT (now so-called TRF) outfit,” the spokesman said, adding, “One of OGW presently under police custody has also corroborated Aijaz’s association with LeT (militant) Faisal Mushtaq Baba who was killed in Meej (Pampore) encounter in June last year.”
Pertinently, the spokesman said, Ather was relative and OGW of HM top commander Rayees Kachroo who got killed in year 2017. “Nevertheless police is investigating into the case from all possible angles,” he added.
