Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh has said the bodies of militants are not being handed over to their families and...
Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh has said the bodies of militants are not being handed over to their families and buried away from homes to ensure physical distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, The Indian Express reported on Sunday.
The last funeral of a militant was held on April 9. The body of Hizbul Mujahideen’s chief operation commander Riyaz Naikoo, killed in an encounter with security forces in the Beighpora area of Pulwama on Wednesday, was also buried in a different district. However, authorities have returned bodies of those who have tested positive for the coronavirus, while ensuring that the numbers at the funeral is kept to the minimum.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs, through a letter, advised that bodies of militants not be returned,” Singh told the newspaper in an interview. “We are, however, allowing the family at burials.”
He added that the directives were issued after three funerals in April drew large crowds. “The home ministry directive cited Covid-19 and the flouting of social distancing norms during funerals, and we are implementing that order and following the SOP [standard operating procedure],” he said.
The director general of police added that the restrictions in connection with the militants’ funerals were also necessary as large gatherings increase chances...
