Srinagar: Two days after a youth, Gowhar Ahmad Dar, was killed by tear gas shell fired by security forces in Zainokote in Srinagar outskirts, his grandmother died Sunday night after suffering cardiac arrest after she heard about her grandson’s death.

Mohammad Yousuf Dar, paternal uncle of Gowhar, told KNS that the grandmother of Gowhar, Rehti Begum, 65, was not informed about the killing of her grandson.

“She was old and weak. We knew she would not bear the tragedy that befell us. So, we did not inform her about the death. We told her that Gowhar has received minor injuries,” Dar told KNS.

“But on Sunday she got a whiff of Gowhar’s death after people assembled here. When she heard that Gowhar had been killed, she fell on the ground due to shock,” he said, adding that she was shifted to JVC. “But she had already died,” he said.

Gowhar, a second semester engineering student, whose Rasm-e-Chahrum will be observed on Wednesday, was killed when, according to the family members, he was fired a bullet by CRPF in his head near his residenceon Saturday evening when he had gone to buy milk.

"It was a target killing. He was killed by the CRPF men who didn't spare even a mentally retarded person in the area and beat him up before killing Gowhar," Mohammad Yusuf Dar, Gowhar's uncle, said.

The victim's family and locals in Zainakote maintain that there was no stone-pelting when CRPF men allegedly resorted to live fire and teargas shelling in the area.

The CRPF, which has a unit headquarter in Zainakote area, gave out contradictory statements on Sundayabout the events which resulted in the killing of Gowhar, alleging that a “stone may have hit Gowhar," resulting in his death.

According to Bhavnesh Chaudhary, the CRPF spokesman, a mob tried to breach the security of the unit headquarter, “Mob even tried to barge into the camp. Then sensing the breach in camp security, CRPF and police jointly tried to disperse them by using mild force. When stone pelting increased, we fired some teargas shells to disperse the mob.”

"On November 7, there were no restrictions in Zainakote area and no troops of 44 battalion of CRPF were deployed in the area, except at the gate of the Unit headquarters. There was a continuous stone-pelting on the camp since morning and the CRPF maintained highest restraint and didn’t even use tear gas shells,” Choudhary said in the statement.

“CRPF fired only 19 tear gas shells. We strictly followed the drill to deal with such law and order problems. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered. If anybody from CRPF is found at the fault, strict disciplinary action will be taken,” the statement added.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and former chief minister Omar Abdullah have expressed anguish over the killing and called for a probe to unearth facts behind the incident.

Following a call for shutdown from the pro-freedom camp, over 40 protesters were injured in day-long clashes with government forces in different parts of Kashmir Valley on Sunday against the killing of Gowhar. (KNS)