South Asia Human Rights Journalist Association

Srinagar, Wed, 13 Mar 2013: A 37-year-old civilian, Altaf Ahmad Wani son of Abdul Ahad Wani, resident of Saidpora, Eidgah a lone bread earner of his family was killed when 73 battalion of Indian paramilitary Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel opened fire at Zoonimar-Saidpora in Srinagaron Wednesday( March 13, 2013). He is survived by three minor daughters Suriya (15) Shabnam (12) and Amina (8), wife, an aged father and ailing mother.
Eyewitnesses said 35-year-old Mohammad Altaf Wani, son of Abdul Ahad Wani, and his uncle Abdur Rehman Deva were on their way to Zoonimar when a speedy CRPF vehicle coming from Safa Kadal opened fired. Though Deva had a narrow escape, Altaf received gunshots in the chest and collapsed on road. He was removed to the Soura institute of Medical Sciences, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Altaf, a shawl weaver, was the youngest of the five siblings, including three sisters. He is survived by an aged father, a young wife, and four small daughters. Earlier in January, Altaf’s 6-month-old baby boy had passed away.
Witnesses said CRPF men opened fire on a father son duo near Saidpora  killing a youth Altaf Hussain, 35, on the spot.
Eyewitnesses said that CRPF personnel opened fire from their vehicle. “They opened fire on him after they slowed down their vehicles,” said an eyewitness adding that Altaf’s uncle was also injured in the firing.

Eyewitnesses said “There were no protests going in the area. Everything was calm here but without any reason, CRPF personnel’s opened fire on the pedestrians near Aiwa Kadal. Altaf was hit by a bullet on chest,” a local resident said adding the incident occurred at about 2pm.
“After leaving the injured in a pool of blood, CRPF personnel fled from the spot,” said one of the eyewitnesses. They added that a group of youth, who were playing cricket 200 yards from the spot, made a hue and cry. The two injured were shifted to Soura Institute of Medical Sciences KIMS for treatment. “He (Altaf) was straightaway rushed to theater. But we found him dead. He has received bullets in chest,” Director, Dr Showkat Ali Zagar told media men. A doctor who attended Altaf said that he has received two bullets in chest.
Director Soura Institutue of Medical Sciences, Dr Showkat Hussain Zagar told media men, “He was brought dead to Institutue of Medical Sciences in Soura. Altaf was young and had received bullets in chest.”
The hospital authorities said Wani was taken to the operation theatre where he died. “He had bled extensively and we straightaway took him to the operation theatre,” said Director of Soura institute Showkat Zargar.The hospital official said Wani had suffered an injury in the chest. 
 
Eyewitnesses said some youth were playing cricket on the roadside and when CRPF men opened fire,” said an eyewitness, Suhail Ahmad.
As the news of the incident spread, hundreds of residents marched towards Soura Institutue of Medical Sciences and carried the victim’s body in a large procession towards his home.
Wani was buried at Eidgah graveyard. Hundreds of people participated in his funeral prayers. 
Hailing from a poor family in Saidapora, Wani was a shawl weaver and the only earning hand of his family. “Soon after offering Zuhr prayers, he was on way to Buchpora in connection with the search of a bridegroom for his cousin,” said one of Wani’s relatives, Riyaz Ahmad.
At victims household, the deceased’s mother Khateeja, a diabetic patient, and his minor daughters were wailing on the veranda of their house and waiting for his body while his father was struggling in the crowd to reach up to his son to kiss him one last time.
A few months back, Altaf’s wife gave birth to a baby boy who, however, died only after two months. “Their family was yet to come out of the grief of losing the only son,” said a neighbor.
Residents of the area were all praise for the deceased. “He used to pray five times and take care of the mosque,” said Wani’s neighbour.
“He would take care of his family and spend most of his time at home with shawl weaving,” said Ateeqa, a local resident. “I never saw him roaming on roadside like other men do. He was a noble soul.”
“The troopers had even resorted to firing at Noorbagh and Seki Dafar areas of the downtown Srinagar. It seems they wanted to shoot passersby to take revenge for the killings of their colleagues in an attack earlier by attackers in Bemina Srinagar,” said Bashir Ahmad, one of the witnesses to Altaf’s killing.
Ghulam Nabi, president Masjid Committee Saidpora (where Altaf lived) told media men that the area was peaceful and no stone pelting or protests were going on when the CRPF vehicle passed through the area and opened indiscriminate fire.
“This is a coldblooded murder. Police is trying to shield the CRPF men who murdered Altaf. There were no stone pelting protests in the area. The area was calm. Even some shops were open and skeletal transport was plying on the road,” he added.
When the body of Altaf was brought to Saidapora, hundreds of men, women and children took to streets and staged pro-freedom and anti-India demonstrations. They carried Altaf’s body in a procession to the nearby Martyrs Graveyard Eidgah. Amidst chants and sobs, Altaf was laid to rest.
Later, violent clashes broke out between protesters and forces in many localities of downtown. The forces, eyewitnesses said, lobbed teargas canisters after failing to quell angry protesters with batons. The clashes were going on when the last report came in.
Meanwhile, police sources told media men that the troopers who fired at Altaf belonged to the CRPF’s 73 battalion whose personnel had come under militant attack earlier in the day in Bemina in which five troopers were killed.
Altaf is the second civilian to die in forces firing in the last eight days. On Tuesday last, Indain Army’s 46 Rashtriya Rifles killed a 27-year-student Tahir Ahmad Sofi in north Kashmir’s Baramulla town triggering Valley wide protests. Besides Altaf, six civilians have died in the Valley in forces action incident since the hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru on February 9.
One 11th class student Zahoor Ahmad But was killed in indiscriminate firing of troops in Watergam on February 11 while have two young boys including 19-year-old Zameer Ahmed and Tariq Ahmed Butt drowned while being chased by Indian police and paramilitary personnel in Ganderbal and Sumbal. An auto-rickshaw driver died after he was beaten up during clash between people and paramilitary personnel.
A 19-year-old Zameer Ahmed(19-year-old) died when he was chased by the Indian paramilitary forces and was forced to jump in river in Ganderbal.
Kashmir has remained on the edge since February 9 when Mohammad Afzal Guru was secretly hanged in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail. 
 
 
In Srinagar, a pall of gloom descended in the entire vicinity of Syedpora Eidgah when the news of killing of their ‘loved one’ spread in the area. Altaf Ahmed Wani, 37, had offered the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers and was readying himself to accompany his uncle to Buchpora.
As the duo reached the Aiwa Kadal (bridge), an Indian paramilitary CRPF Vehicle (Vanton in local parlance) ferrying its men to Soura  Institute of Medical Sciences for donating blood to their counterparts who were injured in an encounter at Bemina Srinagar opened the fire on the pedestrians in frustration.
“We were walking on the road near Aiwa Bridge when suddenly a grey colored CRPF vehicle appeared and started firing without any provocation. Except us there was no one on the road,” said Abdul Rehman Deva Uncle of Slain Altaf and the only eyewitness of the killing.
As tears were rolling down by his cheeks, Rehman was stammering, in deep shock and unable to narrate the scene.
Rehman had called Altaf in the afternoon, asking him to accompany him to Buchpora were they were scheduled to see a boy for Rehman’s elder daughter.
“I fainted there on the spot when I saw a bullet hitting Altaf on the chest. Leave aside the stone pelting not even minor protests were going in the area,” said Rehman yelling ‘Koryen kusu prichi shaheedo (who will look after your daughters O’ martyr).
“Someone there on the streets took Altaf in a Marwati to SKIMS, but I knew he was dead as he succumbed infront of my eyes,” Rehman revealed.    
Altaf has three young daughters. Suriya (15) Shabnam (12) and Amina (8). Suriya is studying in 10th class in a local Govt School.  
Locals say Altaf was a hard worker and used to weave shawls to get his both ends meet. Altaf, a lone son of his parents has three sisters who are married.
“He managed to erect this one storey house anyhow,” a local said.  
One of his close friends, Mushtaq Ahmed Marazee, says Altaf had nothing to do with the ongoing protests.      
 Mushtaq said he had met Altaf yesterday at around 5Pm and Altaf being a full time worshipper advised him to offer ‘prayers 5 times a day’. “He was well versed with the Islamic teachings. A poor man has been killed. What will happen to his daughters now,” screamed Mushtaq.
As angry young men brought the body of Altaf Ahmad Wani to his home at Saidapora Srinagar amid pro-freedom slogans.
As the body draped in a green cloth was laid on a charpoy in the courtyard, men, women, children and aged jostled to catch Altaf’s last glimpse. The chants of “Altaf Tere Khoon Se Inqilab Ayega (Altaf your blood will trigger revolution),” “Hum Kya Chahte Azadi (We want freedom)” grew louder.
Altaf Ahmad Wani‘s father Abdul Ahad Wani’s sobs and his mother’s loud wails are lost in the din of pro-freedom slogans. Altaf’s daughter Suraya wants to see the face of his father for one last time, but women stop her from stepping out of the room.
“Why these merciless men made her an orphan? Why they killed their father? Who would care for these orphans now?” asks Firdous Ahmad Wani, a family relative.
“They have not killed father of the three girls; they have also snatched lone breadwinner of three kids and support of aged parents,” Firdous said. Firdous says the family was yet to come to terms with the death of their infant son three months ago.
“Six months ago, there was celebration in the family when Altaf’s wife gave birth to a son. There was joy all over after birth of a son in the family after three daughters. But that proved short lived as the baby passed away three months ago due to illness,” he said.
“Now the family has lost everything with Altaf’s death,” he says.
Altaf, according to the family, had left home this afternoon to visit a family where from a proposal of marriage of his cousin had come recently.
“After having lunch, he went out with his uncle Abdur Rehman Deva to visit the family to find whether the proposal was suitable for his cousin,” they said, adding “we were shocked to know that CRPF men had opened fire on him.”