Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti's statement on the Rajbagh encounter has evoked strong reactions as the sister of a killed teacher slammed the former chief minister for defending terrorists.

The Director-General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh said that there were people who have started looking at killers as innocents.

Within hours after the killing of a dreaded terrorist Mehran Yaseen Shalla, Mehbooba Mufti said, "legitimate doubts are looming" over the authenticity of the encounter in the Rambagh area of the Srinagar city in which killed three terrorists were killed by police.

Mehbooba Mufti
Mehbooba MuftiIANS

"After yesterday's alleged encounter at Rambagh legitimate doubts are looming over its authenticity. As per reports and witnesses, it seems that the firing was one-sided. Again the official version far from the truth is not in line with ground realities as seen in Shopian, HMT, and Hyderpora", Mehbooba tweeted on Thursday.

Killed teacher's sister slams Mehbooba for defending killers

Pooja Mehra, sister of teacher Deepak Chand, who was killed by terrorist Mehran Yaseen Shalla slammed Mehbooba Mufti for raising doubt over the encounter.

"Unfortunately, a person who remained as chief minister of J&K is brazenly defending those who were involved in killing innocent people", Pooja Mehra said, adding, "terrorist who was involved in killing my brother was eliminated by forces on Wednesday but unfortunately Mehbooba Mufti is raising doubt over the encounter."

She regretted that instead of healing the wounds of the victims, Mehbooba Mufti is speaking in favour of killers involved in killing innocent people. "My brother was killed by terrorists without any fault. He was providing education to the people of Kashmir," she said and Mehbooba Mufti to stop supporting inhuman terrorists.

Terrorists kill two teachers in Kashmir
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Mehran was involved in killing the principal, teacher of Sangam higher secondary school

Pooja Mehra has reason to lambast Mehbooba Mufti for raising doubt over the Rajbagh encounter because according to police Shalla was involved in the killing of school Principal Supinder Kour and teacher Deepak Chand of Government Higher Secondary School, Khankah Noorbagh Sangam on October 7.

Within minutes after the encounter, J&K police claimed that Mehran along with another terrorist entered into principal's office when a routine morning meeting was going on to finalize activities at the school.

Terrorists dragged both Supinder Kour and Deepak Chand into the premises. In front of students and other staff members, both the teachers were killed in the school compound.

Some people are trying to project killers as innocent: DGP

In a veiled attack on PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for doubting the Rajbagh encounter, DGP Dilbag Singh said that some people are looking at the killers as innocent people.

"There are people who understand the reality but try to say something which is away from reality. Some people have started looking at killers as innocent people", DGP Dilbag Singh when asked that Mehbooba Mufti is casting aspersions on Wednesday's encounter.

Dilbag Singh

The DGP was addressing a press conference at Jammu in connection with the recovery of a huge quantity of drugs on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

"It is high time that people should accept reality without mixing it with their imagination," he said. "Yesterday three terrorists were killed in the Rambagh encounter. Srinagar resident Mehran was chief among them and all three are responsible for so many innocent civilian killings including School teachers Supinder Kaur and Deepak Chan Mehra, police SI Arshad and many grenade firing incidents," he said, adding that "those who try to show them as innocents are enemies of humanity."

Three terrorists of TRF were killed in Rajbagh encounter

A top commander of The Resistance Front (TRF)- an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terror outfit, Mehran Yaseen Shalla, among the three terrorists were eliminated in a brief encounter in the Rambagh area of Srinagar city on Wednesday.

Shalla, a dreaded terrorist infamous for targeted killings, was involved in recent selective killings in Srinagar city. He was also involved in the gruesome killings of two teachers including the principal of a school in Srinagar city and the newly recruited sub-inspector of J&K Police.