The family and relatives of the Handwara man who died on Monday after the forces personnel allegedly stopped the passenger vehicle at many places in which he was being carried to the hospital in a critical condition, accuse the BSF and army men of being the “cause” of his death.
On Monday, the deceased identified as Mam-ud-din Bajad (85), a resident of Nowgam in Handwara was being carried by his family to district hospital Handwara for treatment when they were stopped at many places by the forces leading to his death even before reaching the hospital.
According to the family, the patient was in critical condition and was being rushed to the hospital. “As we reached the Kairi Bridge, some BSF men tried to stop the vehicle but after showing them the patient and calling it a case of emergency, we moved on but we were stopped by the local police a little ahead at Kalamabad who had got inputs from the BSF that our vehicle has fled. However, on seeing the condition of the patient, they let us go,” said a family member.
“We were again stopped at Chotipora area for more than half an hour by an RR team of Army who didn’t let us go further despite seeing the critical condition of our patient and even harassed and abused us and clicked our pictures,” said Bajad’s son.
He said as they reached the hospital, the doctors declared that the patient has been brought dead and could have survived if he was brought a little earlier. The family appealed the government to intervene in the matter and grant justice to them.
Commenting on the incident, SP Handwara, said that it was a routine check, and when the forces personnel deployed there were told about the patient they immediately allowed the vehicle to move ahead.
Refusing the reports of clicking pictures of the patient and his family the SP said; “we didn’t click any photo, the attendants carrying the patient had travelled four kilometres before they got into the vehicle. “I don’t know why they are blaming the forces,” he said.
