Srinagar, Feb 5: People might have different memories attached to rainfall, but for Parveena each drizzle brings alive the memories of the ill-fated day when her lone son fell to the bullets of Border Security Force personnel here on this day, three years ago. Zahid Farooq, 17, of Brane Nishat was killed on February 5, 2010.
 “There was drizzle that day. My son left for prayers, promising to return early,” recollects Parveena, mother of Zahid Farooq.
 Barley five minutes later, she heard a few gunshots, little knowing that his son had fallen to the bullets and the tragedy had befallen her.
 “Within no time, one of my neighbors shouted that blood was oozing from Zahid’s body. I thought he might have fallen on ground. But when I went outside the house to see what had exactly happened, I found my son in the pool of blood,” she says, as tears filled her eyes.
 Zahid, according to the witnesses, had been hit by bullets fired allegedly by BSF men at his head. Later he succumbed to injuries at the SMHS hospital here.
 While Parveena is yet to cope with the tragedy, she is remorseful that she couldn’t see her son at the hospital before his death. “I couldn’t go inside the ward where he was being treated,” she said. “I don’t know what happened to me. I was numb. I can never forgive myself for this.” 
 Farhat Farooq, the 19-year-old sister of Zahid Farooq says she lost a friend, a bother and a classmate. “We will fight for justice as long as we are alive,” she says. “We are hopeful of favorable Supreme Court verdict in the case. Otherwise it will give us an impression that State has a policy of patronizing killings of innocents and shielding their killers.” 
 Earlier the Supreme Court reserved decision on the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by Ghulam Muhammad Sheikh, uncle of Zahid Farooq against an order of Jammu and Kashmir High Court. A division bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices CK Prasad and Ibrahim Kalifulla reserved the judgment after hearing the arguments of the counsels representing the parties. Standing Counsel for Jammu and Kashmir in the SC Sunil Fernandes argued that the action by the accused officer, BSF Commandant VK Birdi and his bodyguard is not covered in the protection given to them under the BSF Act. “The officer has committed the crime which is not in pursuance of his official duty and he should be tried by civil court and not under court martial,” Farnandes argued.
 Pertinently, Zahid went out with his friends to play cricket on February 5, 2010 when a BSF contingent allegedly opened fire on them, killing him on spot. Following Zahid’s killing, police, after the massive public outcry, registered a case under FIR no 04/2010 under section 302/109, 201 of RPC at Police Station Nishat. The accused in the case were BSF Commandant RK Birdi and constable Lakhwinder Singh.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 5 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 5 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 6 Feb 2013 00:00:00 IST