Srinagar, March 16th, 2015: In Srinagar, Parveena Akhtar the wife if a missing civilian told reporters that police raided her house and arrested her husband Tariq with the assurance that he will be released after questioning. Police party informed us that Tariq will be questioned for a burglary incident. “From past one month we had been visiting police station demanding his release, but every time we were forced to leave from the police chowki with an assurance that he will be released tomorrow,” she said.
Feroz Ahmed, the brother of Tariq Ahmed said that to secure the release of Tariq, they approached Court for the bail. “When we presented bail before the Munshi (police officer) of the police Chowki, he refused to release Tariq citing the absence of station police officer (SHO) from the police station (Chowki) as the reason. For two days, the Munshi avoided us and when we approached the next day, the SHO assured us that Tariq will be released at 4 pm,” he said adding that they met Tariq in lock up and his little son offered him a banana on March 14.
“The next day on March 15 (Sunday) we received a phone from Zainakadal police chowki. The caller informed us that Tariq escaped from police lock up. Soon after the call, a policeman in plain clothes arrived at our residence and claimed that Tariq fled from the police station. The same policeman tried to force the brother-in-law of Tariq, Showkat Ahmed Malik to sign on paper accepting that police handed over Tariq to him,” Feroz Ahmed told reporters adding that when Showkat refused to sign on paper, the policemen threatened him of dire consequences.
The protesters said that Tariq did not escape from police station and “police has cooked a story to escape from the wrath of law.”
“The policeman in plain clothes who arrived at our home requested us not to raise hue and cry over the matter. “Our jobs are in danger. We will provide you land and money to construct a new house. You just maintain silence,” the brother of Tariq Ahmed quoting policeman as saying to Tariq’s wife Parveena Akhtar said.
Family members and relatives of a local youth staged a massive protest against the alleged ‘mysterious’ disappearance of a youth from Police Station Maharaj Ganj here on Monday.
Amid heavy sonwfall and chill, scores of protesters mostly females from Palapora Pamposh Conlony Noorbagh area of Srinagar city staged protest at Press Enclave demanding whereabouts of Tariq Ahmed Matta who according to protestors was picked up by a police party from Mheraj Gunj police station during a raid on February 1 last month from his Palapora residence in Srinagar.
When contacted, SDPO Maharaj Ganj Ajaz Ahmed told media men that, “two accused persons namely Muhammad Ramzan Shiekh son of Muhammad Jamal resident of khudwani kulgam and Tariq Ahmad Mathanji resident of Pamposh Colony Srinagar involved in case vide FIR number 70/2014, 9/2015 under section 457 380 RPC managed to flee from custody of police station M.R.Gunj during intervening night of March 14 and 15 this month and in this regard case FIR vide number 24/2015 under section 224 RPC stands registered and massive hunt to nab the duo is underway.” He said that four officials of the police station MR Gung including MHC (Munshi) and constables were placed under suspension for their gross negligence and carelessness.”