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TALUQAN (SW) – Police in the Takhar province have been charged with an alleged fake encounter of a young man by a local family in the Warsaj district.
In an exclusive interview with Salam Watandar, 70-year-old Naseer Bai, the uncle of the alleged victim, Maarif, said the policemen shot the young man dead in front of his family members in the Sangaab village over two weeks ago.
According to him, the police had cordoned off the village early in the morning, and directed him to go and tell a local outlawed armed commander Darab Bai – who is charged with extortion and running an army of outlawed criminals – to surrender. He charged his nephew has been killed on the directives of provincial police chief, Hashmat Muslim, and in the presence of the district police chief.
As per the reports, Darab Bai, managed to escape the police siege that also left two policemen killed during exchange of fire. In retaliation, Zainab, mother of Maarif, said the police team killed her son ‘’to teach a lesson to others”. She said the policemen first shot her son in the feet and later took shots at his chest.
However, spokesman for the police headquarters, Khalil Aseer, told SW that Maarif got killed during an encounter with the police during an operation against the outlawed ring leader Darab Bai in the area.
Meanwhile, Syed Burhan Hashimi, head of a local construction company, Afghan Perozi, asserted that Maarif was working for them on a road construction project.
When contacted, Syed Hafeezullah Fitrat, head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission in Kunduz province, told SW that the allegations of extra-judicial killing should be seriously investigated.
It has been a month since this tragic incident, however, victim’s family members said the district police officials are hindering delivery of justice.
ENDS
