Senior BSF commandant R K Birdi, suspended in connection with the killing of a teenager here last month, was today handed over to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Birdi was handed over to Superintendent of Police (city-east) and is lodged in Khotibagh police station, police sources said. Birdi's name surfaced in the case after the arrest of BSF jawan Lakhvinder Kumar, who was handed over to police after internal investigation by the paramilitary force claimed that his service rifle was used to kill 16-year-old Zahid Farooq on February 5, an incident which triggered massive protests in the valley.
Zahid was killed at Brein-Nishat after he along with his friends had entered into an altercation with BSF personnel who were on their way to Shalimar for a medical check-up. Though Kumar was arrested, eyewitnesses and the probe claimed that it was at the insistence of the commandant that the BSF Jawan had fired at the boy.
Two BSF jawans - Dhananjay Gori and Ram Singh who were part of the team - had recoded their statement before a magistrate supporting the claims of Kumar that the commandant had even cocked the gun and ordered firing at the boy.
Police have seized the weapon that was used to kill the boy and three vehicles used by the personnel of the unit at the time of the incident.
The weapon has been sent to ballistic experts for tests.
Forensic teams have taken samples of tyres of the three seized vehicles and matched it with those at the crime scene. Following Kumar's allegation, the Union Home Ministry has issued suspension order for Birdi, commandant of the 68th battalion, who has been confined to the local headquarters pending an inquiry by an officer of the rank of inspector general. PTI
