Srinagar: A Border Security Force (BSF) officer has been removed from his command after a constable of his battalion alleged that he ordered him to fire on a Kashmiri schoolboy who died on February 5.
Constable Lakhvinder Kumar of BSF's 68th Battalion is being held as a suspect in the killing of 17-year-old Zahid Farooq Shah near Srinagar on February 5 as he played cricket at a playground.
PTI quoting unnamed official sources reported Kumar, who allegedly shot Shah at Nishat near Srinagar, has told the police Commandant R K Birdi asked him to open fire.
Sources tell CNN-IBN 12 other BSF personnel too have testified against Birdi, who has denied the allegation and claims Kumar got out of his car and shot Zahid after an altercation
Birdi, commanding officer (CO) of the battalion has been suspended, he will have face court of inquiry.
The BSF on Wednesday admitted that Kumar was "prima facie" involved in the killing and has been handed over to the state police
The family of the slain teenager, however, alleges that the BSF is making Kumar a scapegoat to save a senior officer.
"We are not satisfied with the arrest of the constable as eye-witnesses told us that an officer of the force actually shot Zahid in the chest after snatching the rifle from one of the jawans," Farooq Ahmad, father of the youth, had said.
The state government has already ordered a probe into the incident and said stern action would be taken against the guilty.
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