ADM inquiring Rizwan's custodial death initiate action
Srinagar, Mar 23: The Additional District Magistrate (ADM), appointed to probe the custodial death of a principal of a local private school at Awantipora in Pulwama, has initiated proceedings, official sources said on Saturday.
Rizwan Asad Pandit died on March 19 in custody after his arrest by Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir from his Awantipora house during the intervening night of March 16 and 17.
However, the death evoked massive protests and condemnation by the leaders of mainstream and separatist organisations, including two former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti besides Communist Party of India (M). They demanded time-bound inquiry into the custodial death and stern action against those involved.
The District Magistrate (DM), Pulwama ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. Later, District Magistrate appointed the ADM Qazi Masood as Inquiry Officer for conducting a Magisterial inquiry into the death of Rizwan, allegedly during his custody with police/ Security Forces on 19-03-2019.
Qazi Masood, in a notice said that any person having knowledge or information of the incident may appear before him in his office at Administrative Complex Pulwama between 1000 hrs to 1630 hrs on all working days for recording statement/deposition within a period of seven days.
This is in addition to those interested parties who may choose to depose before him on visit to the place of occurrence.