After the Indian Army issued guidelines on handling the dead bodies of militants, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has now decided to discontinue the practice of handing over the remains of killed terrorists to their family members during the global pandemic.
Kashmir Could Be Worst Affected By Covid-19 After Thousands Attend Militant Funeral
According to Network18 citing government sources, this decision was taken after the Jammu and Kashmir police encountered swelling protestors chanting Islamist slogans at the funerals, a dangerous trend during COVID-19 pandemic.
The funerals are being attended by local officials, under the surveillance of a magistrate. “Every possible attempt is being made to conduct burials in a respectful method, in the presence of their families and in full compliance with the religious practices,” a senior officer J&K police stated.
Indian Army Takes ‘Covid Terrorism’ Very Seriously; Issues Guidelines On Handling Militant Bodies
“There is no constitutional requirement to hand over bodies of the militants killed in an encounter to their families”, the officer said. “Remember that even the body of Afzal Guru, the Parliament House attacker, was buried in Tihar Jail after he was hanged”.
As EurAsian Times reported earlier, officials in Jammu and Kashmir became increasingly anxious after hundreds of people assembled for the burial rites of slain Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist Sajjad Nawab Dar in Sopore, defying COVID-19 lockdown.
Kashmiri Muslims Responsible for Exodus of Pandits; Not Jagmohan: Top Kashmiri Journalist
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has filed an FIR against a number of people for attending the funeral of a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant commander slain in an encounter with the Indian security forces in Aarampora area of Sopore, Kashmir.
The police said the legal heirs had guaranteed to “adhere to social distancing when the dead body was handed over to them. However, it did not happen, as a large swathe of people attending the funeral surfaced on social media.
Daniel Pearl Murder Case: Pakistan Overturns Convicted Man’s Death Sentence
While the funeral of top militants are regularly attended by thousands of people in Kashmir, however, such a large gathering during the global pandemic can put the entre Kashmir Valley at risk, warned health experts talking to the EurAsian Times.
