NC MLA, Senior Lawyers for Judicial Probe by Sitting HC Judge

Magistrate Anil Kumar Has Requested Witnesses to Record Their Statements Before Him by February 9

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

JAMMU: Senior lawyers of the Jammu and Kashmir high court (HC), led by advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed and National Conference's (NC) Bani MLA Dr Rameshwar Singh, on Friday demanded a judicial probe by a sitting high court judge into the custodial torture of a 25-year-old Gujjar youth who later allegedly died by suicide at his home in Billawar tehsil of Kathua district on Wednesday.

Addressing media persons here, HC lawyer Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed said, "We simply don't have any faith in magisterial probe and fact-finding probe by police. We strongly demand a judicial probe by a sitting HC judge."

If our demand is not conceded, then we will be compelled to knock the doors of the HC for justice," he added. Advocate Ahmed said that the 25-year-old was tortured to such an extent that he preferred to end his life.