J&K: Many Attend Militant’s Funeral, Booked for Lockdown Violation

Several people had gathered outside JeM commander’s house, thereby, violating the social distancing norms.

Security forces cordon off the area during an encounter with militants at Sopore, in Baramulla District of South Kashmir, Wednesday, 8 April. Image used for representation.

(Photo: PTI)

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday, 8 April, registered an FIR against the persons who had gathered at the funeral of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant commander Sajad Nawab Dar and violated the coronavirus protocol, The Indian Express reported.

The JeM terrorist commander was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Sopore area of Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

Several people had gathered outside the JeM commander’s house, thereby, violating the social distancing norms and the health advisories issued by the government.

“An FIR [was registered] under relevant sections against the persons who gathered at the funeral of JeM militant Sajad Nawab Dar killed in an encounter in Sopore for violating the COVID-19 protocol and government advisories regarding the social gathering,” mentioned Sopore Police’s statement, The Indian Express reported.

The video footage is being examined to find the defaulters, a top officer said, India Today reported.

Further, the family of Sajad Nawab Dar had stated in writing that they will “adhere to social distancing when the dead body was handed over to them after completing medico-legal formalities,” the report added. Yet, a group of people gathered at JeM commander’s funeral.

A police officer had earlier said that the security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Arampora area of Sopore in the north Kashmir district late Tuesday night after receiving specific information about the presence of militants there.

The official had said that the forces conducted searches in the area and maintained a tight cordon during the night to stop militants from fleeing. The militants fired upon a search party of the forces on Wednesday drawing retaliation.

Twenty-four more coronavirus cases surfaced in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, taking the total count to 184 in the union territory, an official said. Government spokesman Rohit Kansal said of the 184 confirmed cases, 152 were detected in Kashmir and 32 in the Jammu region of the union territory.

(With inputs from PTI, The Indian Express, India Today)