Srinagar: A complete shutdown was observed on Friday against the killings of civilians in the so-called encounter at Hyderpora on Monday. A call for shutdown was given by Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, against what he alleged “inhuman treatment of the families of the slain civilians and the bodies of those killed in the Hyderpora operations.”
Shops, business establishments remained closed, while public traffic was off the roads. There was, however, light movement of private transport on the roads.
The families of the slain civilians have challenged the police version. They also demanded that the government return the dead bodies, which were buried some 80 km away from the city. The police did return the bodies on Thursday evening, after which the bodies were silently buried in local graveyards.
The 44-year-old businessman Altaf Bhat, and Mudasir Gul, a dentist-turned-businessman from
Srinagar’s Rawalpora, were among the four killed in Monday’s encounter at Hyderpora. While police dubbed Gul as an ‘over ground worker’ (term for those who allegedly work for militants) and said Bhat was killed in ‘crossfire’. The families of the duo vehemently countered the police claim and asserted that both of them had no links with militants and were forcibly taken by the police to the encounter site. They even held a day-long protest at the press enclave until they were removed forcibly by police on Wednesday night. The police first said that the dead were OGWs but later changed their statement, saying Altaf was killed in crossfire.

Reader correspondent