Srinagar youth shot dead by BSF trooper, admits senior officer

SRINAGAR - The Border Security Force (BSF) Wednesday admitted that one of its troopers shot dead 16-year-old Zahid Farooq Sheikh in this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital last Friday, an incident that sparked violent protests.

“Prima facie evidence has proved the involvement of Lakhwinder Kumar, a jawan of 68 battalion of BSF, in the shootout that resulted in the death of Zahid Farooq Sheikh of Nishat here Friday,” P.P.S. Sandhu, special director general (DG) BSF, said.

Addressing a press conference here, Sandhu, who arrived Tuesday after reports that a trooper of BSF had shot dead a youth in Nishat area, said: “We have decided to hand over the jawan to the local police for further investigations.”

The special DG (BSF) also said that preliminary investigations revealed that Zahid had died due to a bullet fired at him by the jawan from an AK-47 rifle.

The unit to which the trooper belongs was posted in Gulmarg sector of the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan and had gone to Nishat for a routine medical check-up on the day, he said.

Inspector General of Police Farooq Ahmad confirmed that BSF authorities had handed over the trooper to the police.

A public outcry had erupted here in the wake of the youth’s killing. An eyewitness reported that he was killed by a BSF trooper.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had promised a time-bound probe into the incident, assuring that whoever was proved guilty would be brought to book.