South Asia Human Rights Journalist Association

Srinagar, 24 MAY 2014: Farooq Ahmad Shiekh, father of a victim Zahid Farooq has said that he was being pressurised by the senior officials to withdraw the court case wherein he is seeking punishment against the persons involved in his son’s killing.
Zahid Farooq, 16, was killed by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel near Nishat in Srinagar on February 5, 2010. Zahid went out with his friends to play cricket on February 5, 2010 when a BSF contingent opened fire on them killing him on the spot. Following Zahid’s killing, police, under intense public pressure, registered a case under FIR no 04/2010 under section 302/109, 201 of RPC at Police Station Nishat. The accused in the case were the BSF constable Lakhwinder Singh and his commandant R K Birdi.
“My salary has been stopped without any reason from the last two months by the officials of my department. I have repeatedly asked for the reason but am not getting any,” said victim Zahid’s father Farooq Ahmad who works as a driver in PHE department.
He stated that he is under tremendous pressure by the senior officials of his department and that he has been categorically told by them that he should leave his job if he has to continue perusal in the court case of his son. “I have been begging before them to allow me to attend the court proceedings but they continuously reject my leave applications. The AEE of my department has asked me to leave job.”
Farooq told srinagar based daily Kashmir Monitor that he was in the recent past also transferred to Kulgam from his original place of posting but was later called back when there was the need for the driver in the department. “One official asks me to accompany him while as the other orders explanation from me and the harassment continues every day after.”
He stated further that his department has stopped his salary from the last two months and that the reason for the same is not being given to him. “They sought explanation from me earlier that I answered within two days then suddenly stopped my salary. Tell me how my family can survive now. Whenever I ask for the leave to attend the case of my slain son in the court, they reject my application stating I should either do the job or go after his son’s case.”
Farooq claimed that it could be a pressure tactic from the government so that I leave the case of my son in midway. “Let me tell you that seeking justice for my son is dearer to me than my life. I want the men to be punished but I am being physiologically tortured in my office every day.”
Farooq in the September last year had filed a revision petition in a local court challenging the order which allowed the BSF to prosecute a senior official and his subordinate in the General Security Forces Court (GSFC).
Responding to the petition, Principal Sessions Judge had issued notice to the respondents in the case to file their objections.
The court said that the proceeding initiated on the basis of impugned order shall not be concluded.
On September 14, 2014  Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Srinagar, Rajeev Gupta allowed the application moved by Director General of BSF seeking trial of Commandant R K Birdi and Constable Lakhvinder Kumar in GSFC in the killing of 16-year-old Zahid Farooq of Brane Nishat.