As prayers were allowed at Jamia Masjid after the end of Ramzan, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq drew attention to the death of Ganderbal resident Raashid Ahmed Mughal during an encounter on Wednesday.

Expressing “deep distress”, Mirwaiz told the gathering at the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta: “His (Mughal’s) family had said that he was a part-time computer operator with no links to militancy who was picked up and killed in cold blood; painful memories of such encounters got revived.”

He said that while his family is seeking justice through an impartial probe, “we can only hope that justice is done as past experiences do not inspire confidence”.

“But let us hope that as news comes that LG sahib himself has ordered an inquiry, this time justice gets done and those responsible are held to account and punished,” he said, saying the body not being returned to the family for burial was “inhuman and condemnable”.

Mirwaiz also expressed concern over the repeated closure of Jamia Masjid. “Access to this central place of worship for the Muslims of Kashmir is repeatedly curtailed at the will of authorities. Eid prayer was denied, as were many Fridays during Ramzan. Such repeated restrictions are not just about closing a mosque, they speak of the larger reality, when normalcy is tomtomed by curbing people’s fundamental rights through bans, bars and censorship. Unfortunately, the harassment of Kashmiris is unceasing,” he said.

He asserted in his sermon that “almost daily”, there are reports in newspapers of cases, chargesheets and arrests of Kashmiris by the multiple agencies operating in J&K, including the SIA, CIK, cyber cell, ACB and the NIA on one ground or another.

“Besides, frequent extrajudicial dismissals of Kashmiri government employees with no recourse to judicial remedy are also pursued,” he said.

He said that this creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation and reinforces the narrative that portrays an entire people as “dangerous and suspects to be ruled by imposing checks and control.” Terming this policy “coercive”, he added that this cannot build viable peace or lead to progress if that is what the authorities seek, as they claim.

The Indian Army had said in a statement on April 1 that a militant was killed after suspicious movement was observed in the area. However, the identity of the deceased was not released.

On Thursday, the family of the man, Rashid Ahmad Mughal, claimed that he had no links to militancy. His brother, Ajaz Ahmad Mughal, had told The Indian Express that Rashid was an M.Com degree holder who helped villagers with documentation work for a nominal fee. Two former panchayat members from the village had confirmed this.

The Jammu and Kashmir Home Department, which falls under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has now ordered a magisterial inquiry into the encounter.