Many in J&K’s Sopore booked for lockdown violation as they attend Jaish militant’s funeral

J&K Police says case was registered against the people for violating Covid-19 protocols and government advisories to maintain social distancing.

Security forces cordon off the area during an encounter with militants in Kashmir | representational image | PTI

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police Wednesday filed an FIR against an unknown number of people for attending the funeral of a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant commander killed in an encounter in Aarampora area of north Kashmir’s Sopore.

The police said those booked had violated protocols and government advisories barring social gatherings in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Sopore police, these people had gathered at the funeral of JeM militant Sajad Nawab Dar.

The police said the legal heirs had ensured to “adhere to social distancing when the dead body was handed over to them after completing medico legal formalities”. However, it did not happen, as photographs of a group of people attending the funeral surfaced on social media late Wednesday evening.

“The investigation has been set into motion and defaulters will be dealt strictly as per law,” said a police officer.

New security challenge

While the funerals of militants that are usually attended by hundreds, at times thousands, of local residents have always remained a major issue for security forces in J&K, these pose a new challenge at a time when the country is under a lockdown enforced to prevent the spread of Covid-19 that has claimed nearly 150 lives and infected over 4,000 people in India so far.

As many as 11 militants, including Pakistani nationals, have been killed in the first week of April.

Meanwhile, the police said in a statement slain militant Dar “was wanted by law for his complicity in terror crimes including attacks on security establishments”.

The union territory police also said he was involved in recruiting youth for his militant outfit and was responsible for the 2019 attack on a CRPF camp in Sopore.

“Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including 01 AK-47 rifle, 01 AK-Magazine, 01 UBGL Thrower were recovered from his possession,” said the police statement.