Kashmiri youth killed by occupied forces was not stone-thrower: neighbours

FIR has been lodged and a probe is underway to ascertain circumstances that lead to the death, says a police official

A day after a Kashmiri youth killed by the occupied forces, the neighbours of Sajad Hussain Sheikh said on Sunday that he was not among the protesters pelting stones at military vehicles passing through the Srinagar’s Batmaloo suburb, according to Hindustan Times.

“Sajad was not throwing stones. He was accompanying a friend, who was out to buy essentials, and was caught in the ensuing commotion in the locality. Unfortunately, the bullet hit his head,” a neighbor said.

“In fact, he was discussing his new slippers with the guy he was with minutes before he was shot,” he added.



Residents of Batmaloo said personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) fired when youngsters started throwing stones at the three military vehicles passing through the area.

Besides strict curfew-like restrictions, Kashmiri leaders have called a strike across the valley against the killing of an innocent.

Sajad, his relatives said, was just 15, contrary to media reports stating his age as 22 or 23. He was a class nine student at a private school in Batmaloo and helped his father, Ghulam Hassan Sheikh, run a small fast food stall selling kebabs from a barbeque in the evening.

According to a senior Srinagar police officer, an FIR has been lodged and an investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances that lead to the death.

Sajad, the youngest of Sheikh’s children, is survived by his parents, two brothers and a sister.



“The family is originally from Chandoosa in Baramulla district of north Kashmir and they have been living on rent in Srinagar for livelihood for a long time. They are poor and, hence, Sajad, apart from his studies, used to help his father at the stall,” a friend said.

“He was a budding cricketer and had a match today,” he added

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed anguish over the Sajad’s death and asked security forces to “exercise maximum restraint”.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah had tweeted on the youngster’s killing, “Just so damn sad, this spiral of violence from which there seems to be no escape. One more dead today.”

The ugly dance of death continues in the valley. My unqualified condemnation of this attack & sincere condolences to Khan Sahib's family. https://t.co/VDNlIctGMU

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 16, 2017