Fired to prevent rifle snatching: BSF on Batamaloo killing

A day after a youth was killed in Batamaloo area of Srinagar, BSF on Sunday said that security personnel fired in order to prevent snatching of rifle by stone pelters.

“An internal inquiry into the allegations of firing, which led to the death of a youth has prima-facie revealed that our men fired at Batmaloo leading to the unfortunate death of the youth,” BSF spokesman told reporters here.

He said the incident occurred when a small convoy of BSF was passing through the area and came under stone pelting. “Some youths attempted to snatch a service rifle from one of our jawan which prompted his colleagues to fire few aerial shots. But unfortunately one of the bullet hit the youth who died,” the spokesman said.

The BSF while regretting the incident said that apart from their internal inquiry, they were ready to cooperate with the state police investigation.

Meanwhile, sources said, police have approached the BSF authorities and urged them to handover the accused personnel to it. Pertinently, 23-year-old Sajjad Hussain Sheikh was killed on Sunday evening after BSF men from 38 Battalion opened fire upon a group of youth near Reck Chowk in congested Batmaloo.