India, Kashmir – Srinagar, April 23: Kashmir shuts as family members vow to challenge awarding of capital punishment.

The family members of two Kashmiris, who along with an Indian resident were awarded death sentence by an Indian court yesterday for their alleged role in the 1996 Delhi bombing, have vowed to fight the legal battle in higher courts to seek justice for their loved ones, whom they termed as ‘innocent’ while Kashmir observed a complete shutdown on Friday to protest the death sentence.

Two Kashmiris Mirza Nissar Hussain and Mohammad Ali Bhat and an Indian resident Mohammad Naushad were awarded death penalty’s by an Indian court yesterday for their alleged role in the 1996 bombing in the Indian capital, which left 13 people dead. Another Kashmiri, Javed Ahmad was given a life sentence while two others; Farooq Ahmad and a woman Farida Dar were set free by the court.

Mirza Muzaffar, brother of Mirza Nissar Hussain termed the court verdict as injustice with his brother and others.

“There were no solid evidence against them and despite this fact my brother and others were convicted by the court. The verdict has shattered us,” he said.

Muzaffar, however, said he strongly believes that his brother and others were not guilty but were framed in the case by Indian authorities.

“We will definitely appeal against the verdict in a higher court in Delhi (Indian capital),” he said.

The family of another convict Mohammad Ali Bhat is also dismayed and pained at the quantum of sentence.

“My heart is aching after I came to know that my son was awarded the death penalty by the court. My son, now 43, was just 29 years old when he was framed in this case. His mother died in February 2000 as she could not bear the separation from her dear son, whom she could not meet till her death,” said Haji Sher Ali father of Mohammad Ali Bhat.

With tears rolling down his cheeks, he said in broken voice that he will fight legal battle in higher court to prove the innocence of his son. “We will challenge the verdict in higher courts,” he said.

NationalTurk / Kashmir-Fayaz Wani