Poonch terror attack: Man who consumed poison after being called for police questioning dies

Poonch: A 50-year-old man who allegedly consumed poison on being called by police for questioning in connection with last week’s terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch died on Thursday, sparking protests by agitated locals, an official said.

Mukhtar Hussain Shah, a resident of Nar village in the district’s Mendhar tehsil, was disturbed as he was facing some domestic issues, he said, adding that he was not summoned as a suspect.

However, in a video message which went viral after his death, Shah alleged harassment. He also called for stern action against the real culprits behind the attack and a united fight against terrorism.

Shah allegedly consumed poison on Tuesday evening and was admitted to the Government Medical College, Rajouri, where he died on Thursday morning, the official said.

Shah took the extreme step within hours of being asked to report for questioning in connection with the April 20 ambush by terrorists in the Bhata Dhurian forest that left five soldiers dead, he said.

The slain soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.

“He was not a suspect (in the terror attack case) but was called for questioning like most of the residents of his village that is located near the ambush site. We came to know he was facing domestic issues and was disturbed,” the official said.

Soon after Shah’s body reached near his house, his relatives and neighbours blocked the Jammu-Poonch national highway between Bhimber Gali and Bhata Dhurian to press for an inquiry into the circumstances leading to his death.

The protesters also raised slogans against the police and are being persuaded to disperse, the official said.

“I have no pressure from the Army, police or villagers. I am ending my life, even though it is wrong as per my religion. My family and I are being harassed and despite speaking the truth, nobody is listening to me,” Shah said in his nearly 10-minute video message.

Swearing by Allah and the holy book that he did not help the terrorists in carrying out the attack, he said 200 to 500 innocent villagers are facing harassment and torture for no fault of theirs.

“I am sad that my brothers from Rashtriya Rifles got martyred and I express my solidarity with their families. Humanity demands that no innocent’s blood should be shed and my family and villagers will protect our country and cooperate with (security) officers,” he said.

Shah said his family always supported India but the “same family is getting tortured. My request to the (security) officers is not to oppress innocents and if anyone is involved, let there be stern action against them”.

He said people are facing harassment because of someone else’s mistake. “I want to appeal to all Muslims that we should come together and support the Army so that the bloodshed ends forever and we are relieved of the torture,” he said.

“Let us come together with determination to stand up for peace. The government is providing everything to us but we are troubled because of some people. We have to expose them so that this thing is over for good,” he said.

Security forces have detained over 60 people as part of an ongoing anti-terrorist operation following the attack in Bhata Dhurian, a notorious infiltration route for terrorists from across the Line of Control because of its topography, dense forest cover and natural caves.

The massive search and cordon operation has been extended to many areas of both Poonch and nearby Rajouri but there has been no contact with the terrorists who fled the scene after the deadly ambush.

The official said a suspect has admitted to having provided logistic support to the terrorists for over two months and his further questioning is on.

Special forces are also engaged in the search operation that entered its eighth day on Thursday, officials said, adding that agencies are using drones, sniffer dogs and metal detectors in the operation.

Sources had earlier said that seven to eight terrorists in two groups are believed to have engineered the attack.

The terrorists reportedly hid under a culvert on the road from where they launched the attack on the truck which was carrying fruits, vegetables and other items to Sangiote village from the Bhimber Gali camp for iftar to be organised by the Rashtriya Rifles, according to initial investigation.

There were more than 50 bullet marks on the vehicle, which shows the intensity of the firing by the terrorists, the sources said.

The troops involved in the operation are exercising utmost caution as the terrorists may have planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the densely forested area with deep gorges and caves, they said.

Experts from various agencies, including the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), have visited the site of the attack.

According to the officials, a sniper is believed to have targeted the Army vehicle from the front before his associates fired and lobbed grenades on the vehicle from opposite sides, apparently giving the troops no time to retaliate.

“The terrorists used steel core bullets that can penetrate an armoured shield,” the officials said, adding that the terrorists decamped with the soldiers’ service weapons.