Sopore Double Murder Case: ‘Main Culprit Still Roaming Free, Alleges Family

Srinagar—A family from North Kashmir’s So­pore town Saturday alleged that police has not been arresting the main culprit involved in double murder case. The family said that police have let off the ac­cused government gunman under Army pressure.

“Merely after 48 hours of the murder of two cousins in 2014 at Seelu Sopore, the police had claimed that it arrested the main culprit Mehrajuddin Khan alias Raj Khan. However police suc­cumbed to the pressure from Army and released him. The then Army officer barged into our house and threat­ened us of dire consequences if we don’t withdraw the case,” the family members who appeared in Press En­clave told news agency CNS.

Pertinently, on June 20, 2014, two cousin of Sopore’s Naikoo family Nazir Ahmed Naiko (M.Phil in Urdu) and Shabir Ahmed Naikoo (Den­tal surgeon) fell to the bullets over a “land dispute” with their neighbor and relative Ghulam Nabi Naikoo.

“The killings were ex­ecuted over a land dispute. We filed a law suit against Ghulam Nabi Naiko. His brother-in-law Mehrajud­din Khan, a government gun man threatened us of dire consequences after the culmination of first hearing of the case,” said Manzoor Ahmed.

He said they filed a com­plaint at Police Station Sopore after Ghulam Nabi Naiko along with his men attacked us.

“We thought we are safe now after registering com­plaint in police station but little did we know that the culprit along with army will devastate our dreams and will kill our two mem­bers. On the night of June 20, 2014 when we were busy in talking to each other, Raj Khan along two other men in fatigues and masked faces barged into our house and resorted to indiscrimi­nate firing. As a result, Nazir Ahmad Naikoo died on the spot. Nazir’s cousin Shabir, who was the wit­ness in court was also severely injured and was referred to SMHS hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the next day.”

He said that police reg­istered a case vide FIR number 95/2014 U/S 302, 307 RPC and 7/27 Arms Act and apprehended Raj Khan of Khan Mohalla, Mundji, Zainageer Sopore from his house. Police during a press briefing had said that in the process of in­vestigation it surfaced that the accused Mehraj-u-Din used the services of local HM militant Javaid Ah­mad Matoo of Sopore town.

“There was no role of local militant in the attack. “In an attempt to save the main ac­cused Raj Khan who is work­ing for police and Army, police blamed local militant and the irony is that two stu­dents Imtiyaz Ahmed and Ajaz Ahmed were framed in the case. Court set them free after one and a half year after we deposed in their favour in the court of law,” he said.

The family members while seeking the interven­tion of Chief Justice and Chief Minister appealed Sessions Court Sopore to ex­pedite the case and convict the real culprit who accord­ing to them is roaming free and without any fear. (

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