A day after national outrage erupted over the killing of two civilian youths by the Indian Army in Kashmir's Budgam district, new revelations have further cornered the forces, which have been accused of using military excesses even against unarmed locals.
A report by the Budgam District Magistrate on the incident is said to contradict the Army's version of events from Monday.
The report states that the Maruti car, in which four people were travelling skidded and hit a pole, following which the forces rained bullets on the car, killing two people and injuring the other two, NDTV reported.
The District Magistrate of Budgam and the Senior Superintendent of Police have submitted a joint report to the state government and the Election Commission.
The army has, however, claimed that it had received intelligence inputs about the movement of militants and open fired as the car failed to stop at three check-posts.
"Three motor vehicle check points were established along the route to nab the militants. The car in which these youth were travelling did not stop at two check points when they were flagged down. They even broke through the third barrier at Chattergam leading to the security forces opening firing on them," the Army had said in a statement.
Families of the deceased have also accused the army of killing the two boys in 'cold blood'.
"The Indian soldiers opened fire on our children without giving them time to come out of the car and prove their identity. We have come to know that the soldiers had signalled Burhan, who was driving the car, to stop. But the boys got scared and fled from the scene as they hadn't documents of the vehicle," Mohammad Asif Bhat, cousin of 18-year-old Meraj Ahmad Dar who died in the firing, told Kashmir Reader.
"In the confusion, the car hit a Tipper which was coming from the opposite direction, and the army opened fire on it. Two boys died in the firing and two received injuries while the fifth one managed to escape from the spot," he said.
"Is it justified to murder young boys in cold-blood for not stopping at a check post," asked Jan Muzaffar, a bereaved relative of 13-year-old Burhan Yousuf.
Several areas remained under curfew on Wednesday as protests broke out on Tuesday following reports of the killing of the two youths.
The state is also set to go in for assembly elections at the end of the month.
