Srinagar, June 18: Jammu and Kashmir government today provided an ex-gratia relief and a job to the next of kin of Imam Mohammad Maqbool who alongwith his teenaged son fell to the bullets of army troops in a case of mistaken identity in North Kashmir three days ago. A cheque of Rs two lakhs as ex-gratia and appointment order was presented to the victims' family by finance minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, who visited the Dharaw-Wagoora village to condole the death of the Imam and his son.

The Imam and his 13-year-old son were killed when the troops, during an ambush, mistook them for militants and opened fire. The imam left behind seven teenaged children. Addressing a condolence meeting at the residence of the imam, the minister said that a magisterial probe has already been ordered into the killings and the responsible persons would be dealt with according to the law.

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has already taken up the matter with the army authorities, the minister said.

Beigh, who was accompanied by MLA Sangrama G N Lone and district development commissioner Baramulla Naveen Choudhary, said government has made it abundantly clear that no innocent should be harmed even while fighting militants. Such unfortunate incidents needed to be prevented, he said.

Bureau Report