Teacher held in terror case dies in custody

SRINAGAR: A 28-year-old man from Pulwama district died in police custody in Srinagar, triggering a spontaneous shutdown and street clashes in Awantipora town.

While government ordered magisterial inquiry into the custodial death, political parties have condemned the incident and pitched for a fair investigation and exemplary punishment.

Rizwan Pandit, 28, a resident of Awantipora, died during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, a police officer said.

Pandit, who was a teacher at a private school, was picked up by the security agencies three days ago in connection with a terror case, the officer said.

"He died during Monday night," a police officer said, adding that a magisterial probe had been ordered.
Sources said Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama, Dr Syed Abid has ordered magisterial inquiry into the death of Rizwan, who died in the custody of Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police.

"In addition, a departmental inquiry has been ordered into the circumstances that led to the death," the officer said.

As news reached Awantipora, clashes started between the security forces and stone-pelting youths.
All shops and other businesses were hurriedly closed and traffic also went off the roads in the town.
As a precaution, all exams scheduled for Tuesday in the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) at Awantipora were postponed.

Mobile Internet services were suspended in Awantipora and adjoining areas.

Authorities rushed reinforcements of security forces to Awantipora to maintain law and order.

National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday demanded a time-bound investigation into the custodial death of Pandit and exemplary punishment to those responsible for the death.

"I had hoped custodial deaths were a thing of our dark past. This is an unacceptable development & must be investigated in a transparent, time bound manner. Exemplary punishment must be handed out to the killers of this young man," Abdullah tweeted.

The National Conference leader added that with "midnight raids, crackdowns, rampant arrests, custodial murders, denial of democratic right to choose a government. Kashmir continues to suffer the fallout of the disastrous PDP-BJP alliance and from the Modi government's muscular approach to J&K".

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said that Delhi’s “repressive” approach leaves young educated men vulnerable who are forced to take up arms.

“Innocent men hauled up from their homes for interrogation return home only in coffins now. GoI’s repressive approach leaves young educated men vulnerable who are forced to take up arms. Stop using Kashmir to exhibit your sick chauvinistic nationalism. We have suffered enough (sic),” Mehbooba wrote on Twitter.

“Such killings have isolated people to the largest extent in past and this incident has the potential to vitiate the atmosphere further in the valley and believe that the punishment against the responsible will restore the faith of people in the system,” JKPCC president G A Mir said in a statement.

PDP leader Naeem Akhtar asked Governor Satya Pal Malik's administration to come clean on the incident.

"Disturbing reports of custodial death of youth from Awantipora in Srinagar's Cargo Camp. As per media he was picked up by NIA few days ago & was lodged in CARGO camp of (SOG). @jandkgovernor administration should come clean on this," Akhtar, a former minister, posted on Twitter.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) has denied to have any role in arrest of Rizwan.

NIA said that there was no case against Rizwan and he was not required for any investigation.

“Condemn in strongest terms the death in police custody in Srinagar. This is what the sanctity of human life has been reduced to in Kashmir. My thoughts are with the family of the deceased”, Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone said in a statement.

CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami demanded judicial enquiry into the killing and said no civilized society can tolerate such acts.