Srinagar, Nov 4: A family from Shopian on Wednesday staged a protest in Srinagar alongwith the body of a man, who died on Tuesday during an acquisition drive to retrieve alleged encroached land.
Officials said that the man died due to heart attack during a stone pelting incident though the family alleged that he was beaten.
The family alongwith the body of the man emerged at Press Enclave in Srinagar, demanding action against the people responsible for the death of one Abdul Salam Thokar, a driver by profession. “Thokar was manhandled by goons following which he died. We won’t burry him till action is not initiated against those responsible for his death,” the protestors said.
They said that the family had a land dispute with another party and about a dozen people came on Tuesday to occupy the land.
However, official sources said that Thokar died of heart attack during a stone pelting incident, which triggered after the civil administration launched an anti-encroachment drive in village Hermain in Shopian. “The locals pelted stones on a team which had arrived in the area to retrieve encroached land. Thokar suffered a heart attack during the stone pelting and died,” they added.