14-year-old boy killed in crossfire laid to rest at Sheeri, 35km away from home
Fearing the gathering of locals in view of the nationwide lockdown, the local administration and police refused to hand over the body of slain boy to his family
The mother of 14-year-old specially abled boy of Khipora village in Handwara, who was killed near the encounter site in Handwara’s Wangam area on Monday, is yet to believe that her son is no more.
“It is tough to believe that he is gone forever, but what could be done at this moment,” says 35-year-old Neema Begum.
The body of Hazim Shafi Bhat, a student of Class 7, was found at a distance of half-a-kilometre from the encounter site. Three CRPF men were killed in the encounter after unidentified militants attacked 92 battalion CRPF (a coy) party at Wangam area of Handwara town in Kupwara district on Monday evening.
Hazim’s father Mohd Shafi Bhat told Hindustan Times over phone that he died during the cross-firing between the militants and security forces. “He had gone to the nearby fields with me and other locals of the village for the spraying of fruit trees, but around 5:30pm we heard the gun shots and we ran from the spot fearing for our lives. Unfortunately, Hazim was left behind. As he tried to cross a bridge in the area to save him he came under the cross-firing,” says Shafi, who works as labourer.
The devastated father said that his son was innocent. “How can a physically handicapped boy harm anyone? He used to remain busy in his own life and had nothing to do with others,” he added.
Hazim was laid to rest at a graveyard, 35 kilometres away from his village, in Sheeri area of Baramulla early on Tuesday morning. “Though we requested the police and district administration to return his body, but they refused fearing the gathering of locals in view of the nationwide lockdown,” he said, adding that only 20 people were allowed to attend the last rites.
A police official requesting anonymity said that the body was not handed over to the family as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.
A relative of the mourning family, Altaf Ahmad, said that due to the fear of Covid-19, there was no gathering even at Hazim’s home. “People who came also maintained social distancing,” he added.
Uncle of the slain boy Khazir Mohammad Bhat said that Hazim was recovering now. “His family had consulted some of the very good doctors and he was showing an improvement,” he said.