Zaheer Ahmed Lone who had been missing for and had recently joined Militancy succumbed to his injuries in a hospital in Srinagar on Thursday.
He joined the Hizb ul Mujahideen outfit and was injured in an encounter with Government Forces on Wednesday and the Forces who conducted the joint operation in nearby Anantnag district carried him to the hospital in an injured condition.
A resident of the Inder area in Pulwama, Zaheer had also issued an audio message wherein he was heard bidding farewell to his family while accusing the Government Forces of harassing him constantly and forcing him to pick arms.
Sources told The Dark presd that Zaheer was accused in various FIRs, including FIR No. 140/2018 registered at Police Station, Pulwama, for the commission of offences punishable under Sections ¾ Explosive Substances Act and 307 of Ranbir Panel code (RPC).
“It is not fine to be in jail time and again,” he is heard saying in this audio message.
Meanwhile, a local from Inder told The dark press media that a brother of Zaheer was also a Militant killed during an encounter in the Bellow area of Pulwama in South Kashmir.
Son of Abdul Gani Lone, Zaheer, father of two school-going kids, (12-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter) and the sole-bread earner to his family was as per Police a militant associate was working as an Over Ground Worker (OGW) for some militants.
Police accused Zaheer of distributing militant posters and instigating youth.
Earlier, the poor family of Zaheer was shattered by the frequent detentions of their only son under the Public Safety Act (PSA). He was booked under Public Safety Act in 2018 and constantly detained, as per the locals of the inder area.
Rozy Jan, 38-year-old wife of Zaheer on 11 December had a heart stroke at her home in Inder village; she was immediately rushed to district hospital in Pulwama, where doctors declared her dead.
In 2018, Zaheer was detained at Kathua Jail under the order bearing No.7/DMB/PSA/18 dated 13th of June, 2018 for a period of eight months before the court quashed his detention order under the Public Safety Act.
He had set up a small business in the Lassipora area and was earning enough amount to feed his family, but his frequent detentions made the family suffer.
A police spokesman in a statement regarding the enconter said that on a specific input, Police and security forces during the intervening night of 16/17 established a checkpoint at Sangam, Naina road near Gund Baba Khaleel area of district Anantnag.
“During checking, two suspected persons riding a motorcycle were signaled to stop. However, the pillion rider fired upon the joint party in order to escape from the spot. The fire was retaliated, leading to a brief encounter, in which an active militant got injured while the motorcyclist managed to escape from the spot. After receiving gunshot injuries, the militant was arrested by the joint party and shifted to hospital for treatment,” the spokesman said.