Mohammad Abu Bakr
RAFIABAD (Baramulla)
Thousands of people assembled in Saidapora in North Kashmir’s Rafiabad assembly segment on Saturday to bid adieu to slain Book Shop owner.
Local witnesses said that intense pro-freedom demonstrations were held in the area as body of Fayaz Ahmad Rather was laid to rest. He was 45.
Fayaz, a book seller by profession was hot last late night by unknown gunmen.
He was killed in an orchard nearby his home last night. He has two sons and a daughter. The youngest child is 5 years old.
Fayaz has two more brothers who are married and living with their families.
Tension gripped Saidapora area last night when three persons knocked the door of Fayaz’s home who took him with them.
After 15 minutes, the villagers heard some gun shots. “We thought it was an encounter,” a local said, “but wife of Fayaz raised alarm and people came out.”
Amid candle and hand battery lights, they found body of Fayaz in a pool of blood under grass in the orchard. “We rushed Fayaz to hospital but he died on way,” his brother, Bilal Ahmad, said.
Notably, reports had said that Fayaz was associated with Hurriyat patriarch Syed Ali Geelani led Tehreek-e-Hurriyat. “Yes, he was Rukun of TeH,” an officer bearer of TeH said. “But we are yet getting details as what led to his killing. There is communication breakdown due to situation which has resulted in delay of giving you the details,” the office bearer told Kashmir Life in Srinagar.
