Mourning continues teargass shell victim's home in Barzulla

Srinagar, July 24: Mourning continues in the home of Barzulla youth’s house even after 44 days, with his mother accusing the authorities in Soura Institute of Medical Sciences of declaring the dead youth as critical for three days on the instructions of higher ups (authorities).

The 22-year old Nisar Ahmad Mir of Barzulla town was critically injured after being hit on his head by a tear smoke shell fired by the policemen of Sadr police station on June 1, when he participated in a peaceful demonstration against the rape and murder of 17-year-old Asiya Jan and her 22-year-old sister-in-law Neelofer Jan on May 29 of  Shopian. On June 4, 2009 doctors in Soura hospital declared him dead.

However, his mother, Fatima, refuses to believe the doctors. She said Nisar was hit directly on head. “It was target killing,” she told Greater Kashmir; adding police could have hit him in legs. “They hit him from a close range with an intension to kill,” she said. She said the Soura doctors rekindled her hope to see her son again. “It was this hope that forced me to not look at his face for four days,” she said.

“For three days, the doctors told us that my son was recovering but why his condition deteriorated and he died when so-called by elections in Hazratbal constituency were over. It is a lie, he had died days before he was declared dead,” Fatima said. The mother seeks an answer from Soura doctors and an inquiry into the matter. “I am told he is no more. But I can’t believe. Yesterday means on Thursday July 23, 2009 I went out to look for him in the flood channel area where he used to play cricket.”

Nisar’s killing had sparked off massive protests in the area on June 4. Police resorted to tear smoke shelling followed by firing to prevent his funeral procession from proceeding to Hyderpora. He was the first person who died in protests against the Shopian rape and murder.

Thousands of people participated in his funeral prayers. Doctors had said Nisar died of multiple brain injuries. “Nisar’s frontal area of skull had developed fracture after being hit by the tear gas shell. Though he was operated upon for the injuries, his condition was not stable and he was kept on life-support system,” a doctor had said.