The death of Khalid Muzzafar Wani at the Kamla Top forests in Kashmir’s Tral on April 13 has been controversial to say the least. Security forces have claimed that Wani was killed in a gun battle while he was visiting his brother, a suspected militant.

Separatist leaders and Wani’s family continue to insist that it was a custodial death, resulting from torture by security personnel. Separatist leaders like Yasin Malik and Masarat Alam, who rose to notoriety for waving a Pakistan flag during a protest a few weeks ago, were detained on their way to the funeral, and Alam was subsequently arrested.

Protests continue to rock the valley since the young man’s death.

The Quint has been able to access exclusive footage of three of Khalid Wani’s friends, Pervaiz Ahmed Bhat, Adil Ahmed Sah and Mohammad Waseem who accompanied him that fateful day.

The three were arrested by the police after the gun battle in Kamla forest. The footage, obtained through police sources, seems to corroborate the official version of events. There was no way to authenticate from the videos whether the youngsters were under duress while in police custody.

Watch them here:

In this video, Mohammad Waseem narrates how Khalid took him to meet his brother, Burhan, and how they ended up in police custody.

Khalid asked me to come with him and we met up with two more people. Then the four of us went up to Kamla forest. It took us over an hour to climb the hillock. Four militants were already there when we reached. The first was Burhan, Khalid’s brother, the second was Asif, then Aqib and finally a new recruit. We spoke for some time and then they [militants] ate the biryani which Khalid had brought for them. We told Khalid to leave but he insisted we wait at a distance while he spoke privately with his brother. We were about to return home but suddenly we heard gunshots. I left my white shirt behind and we started to run down the hill. As we were running, two army soldiers ordered us to put our hands up. We did so and informed them that we are civilians. They checked our identity and did not fire on us.

Parvaiz Ahmad Bhatt recounts how Khalid took him out for a picnic, and how they ended up with Burhan and the other militants.

Khalid came to Dadsara and asked me if I wanted go for a picnic. When I asked him where he said he would let me know. He also told me to get Adil. He said that he would wait at Haari [a hill] for another friend of ours. I got Adil and we met up with Khalid and went to Kamla forest. There were four militants, including Burhan, Khalid’s brother.

Adil Ahmad Shah echoes what his friends said.

We met Khalid at Haari. We were going for a picnic. But when we reached the forest, Burhan was already there. We did not know Burhan would be in the forest where we planned to enjoy the picnic. We met Burhan and the others, then after some time, we heard some gunshots and fled the place.

Not a Straightforward Story

The exclusive footage seems to present a version of events that is in line with that of the security forces.

The army said in a statement that Khalid Wani was a militant sympathiser, and was a listed as an overground worker (OGW) for militants. The army authorities insisted he was not a civilian.

However, Kashmir Police Inspector General Javed Gilani said in a statement that they cannot confirm if Khalid and his arrested friends had taken to militancy. An autopsy concluded that Khalid died from a bullet wound.

Separatist leaders and the victim’s family, however, have continued to contest the ‘official’ version of events.

Hardline separatist leader and Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has claimed the death was “cold blooded murder” of a civilian. Moderate separatist leader and Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq stated that till such time that black laws like AFSPA continue to remain in force the army and other security forces will use it to kill innocent people.

Muzafar Ahmed Wani, Khalid’s father, is the Principal of a government school.

Along with several others from his village, he has challenged the police’s version of events. He insists his son was innoncent. Muzafar said his son was “tortured to death” because Khalid’s younger brother Burhan is a militant.

I looked at every inch of his body, from toe to head, and there was no bullet mark on his body. He was tortured.
– Muzafar Ahmed Wani, Khalid’s father